Minor Collection
1. The Great Chapter

The riddle of seniority

Khuddaka Nikāya
1. Mahāvagga
Vassagaṇanapañha
Minor Collection
1. The Great Chapter
The riddle of seniority
Khuddaka Nikāya
1. Mahāvagga
Vassagaṇanapañha
Ruta suttaMil 3.1.2Sutta PiṭakaKhuddaka NikāyaMilindapañha3. Milindapañha1. MahāvaggaVassagaṇanapañha
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PTS cs 2 ‘How many years seniority have you, Nāgasena?’

‘Seven, your Majesty.’

‘But how can you say it is your “seven?” Is it you who are “seven,” or the number that is “seven?”’

Now that moment the figure of the king, decked in all the finery of his royal ornaments, cast its shadow on the ground, and was reflected in a vessel of water. And Nāgasena asked him: ‘Your figure, O king, is now shadowed upon the ground, and reflected in the water, how now, are you the king, or is the reflection the king?’

‘I am the king, Nāgasena, but the shadow comes into existence because of me.’

‘Just even so, O king, the number of the years is seven, I am not seven. But it is because of me, O king, that the number seven has come into existence; and it is mine in the same sense as the shadow is yours.’ PTS vp En 46

‘Most wonderful again, and strange, Nāgasena. Well has the question put to you, most difficult though it was, been solved!’

2. Vassagaṇanapañha
2. Vassagaṇanapañha
2. Vassagaṇanapañha

“Kativassosi tvaṁ, bhante nāgasenā”ti? “Sattavassohaṁ, mahārājā”ti. “Ke te, bhante, satta, tvaṁ vā satta, gaṇanā vā sattā”ti?

“Kativassosi tvaṁ, bhante nāgasenā”ti?
“Sattavassohaṁ, mahārājā”ti.
“Ke te, bhante, satta, tvaṁ vā satta, gaṇanā vā sattā”ti?

“Kativassosi tvaṁ, bhante nāgasenā”ti? “Sattavassohaṁ, mahārājā”ti. “Ke te, bhante, satta, tvaṁ vā satta, gaṇanā vā sattā”ti?

Tena kho pana samayena milindassa rañño sabbābharaṇapaṭimaṇḍitassa alaṅkatapaṭiyattassa pathaviyaṁ chāyā dissati, udakamaṇike ca chāyā dissati. Atha kho āyasmā nāgaseno milindaṁ rājānaṁ etadavoca—“ayaṁ te, mahārāja, chāyā pathaviyaṁ udakamaṇike ca dissati, kiṁ pana, mahārāja, tvaṁ vā rājā, chāyā vā rājā”ti? “Ahaṁ, bhante nāgasena, rājā, nāyaṁ chāyā rājā, maṁ pana nissāya chāyā pavattatī”ti. “Evameva kho, mahārāja, vassānaṁ gaṇanā satta, na panāhaṁ satta, maṁ pana nissāya satta pavattati, chāyūpamaṁ, mahārājā”ti. “Acchariyaṁ, bhante nāgasena, abbhutaṁ, bhante nāgasena, aticitrāni pañhapaṭibhānāni visajjitānī”ti.

Tena kho pana samayena milindassa rañño sabbābharaṇapaṭimaṇḍitassa alaṅkatapaṭiyattassa pathaviyaṁ chāyā dissati, udakamaṇike ca chāyā dissati.
Atha kho āyasmā nāgaseno milindaṁ rājānaṁ etadavoca—
“ayaṁ te, mahārāja, chāyā pathaviyaṁ udakamaṇike ca dissati, kiṁ pana, mahārāja, tvaṁ vā rājā, chāyā vā rājā”ti?
“Ahaṁ, bhante nāgasena, rājā, nāyaṁ chāyā rājā, maṁ pana nissāya chāyā pavattatī”ti.
“Evameva kho, mahārāja, vassānaṁ gaṇanā satta, na panāhaṁ satta, maṁ pana nissāya satta pavattati, chāyūpamaṁ, mahārājā”ti.
“Acchariyaṁ, bhante nāgasena, abbhutaṁ, bhante nāgasena, aticitrāni pañhapaṭibhānāni visajjitānī”ti.

Tena kho pana samayena milindassa rañño sabbābharaṇapaṭimaṇḍitassa alaṅkatapaṭiyattassa pathaviyaṁ chāyā dissati, udakamaṇike ca chāyā dissati. Atha kho āyasmā nāgaseno milindaṁ rājānaṁ etadavoca—“ayaṁ te, mahārāja, chāyā pathaviyaṁ udakamaṇike ca dissati, kiṁ pana, mahārāja, tvaṁ vā rājā, chāyā vā rājā”ti? “Ahaṁ, bhante nāgasena, rājā, nāyaṁ chāyā rājā, maṁ pana nissāya chāyā pavattatī”ti. “Evameva kho, mahārāja, vassānaṁ gaṇanā satta, na panāhaṁ satta, maṁ pana nissāya satta pavattati, chāyūpamaṁ, mahārājā”ti. “Acchariyaṁ, bhante nāgasena, abbhutaṁ, bhante nāgasena, aticitrāni pañhapaṭibhānāni visajjitānī”ti.

Vassagaṇanapañho dutiyo. *Vassagaṇanapañho → vassapañho (maku)

Vassagaṇanapañho dutiyo. *Vassagaṇanapañho → vassapañho (maku)

Vassagaṇanapañho dutiyo. *Vassagaṇanapañho → vassapañho (maku)