1 Ārambhakathā

Milindo nāma so rājā,
sāgalāyaṃ puruttame;
Upagañchi nāgasenaṃ,
gaṅgā ca yathā sāgaraṃ.

Āsajja rājā citrakathiṃ,
ukkādhāraṃ tamonudaṃ;
Apucchi nipuṇe pañhe,
ṭhānāṭṭhānagate puthū.

Pucchā visajjanā ceva,
gambhīratthūpanissitā;
Hadayaṅgamā kaṇṇasukhā,
abbhutā lomahaṃsanā.

Abhidhammavinayogāḷhā,
suttajālasamattitā;
Nāgasenakathā citrā,
opammehi nayehi ca.

Tattha ñāṇaṃ paṇidhāya,
hāsayitvāna mānasaṃ;
Suṇātha nipuṇe pañhe,
kaṅkhāṭṭhānavidālaneti.

Taṃ yathānusūyate—  atthi yonakānaṃ nānāpuṭabhedanaṃ sāgalaṃ nāma nagaraṃ nadīpabbatasobhitaṃ ramaṇīyabhūmippadesabhāgaṃ ārāmuyyānopavanataḷākapokkharaṇisampannaṃ nadīpabbatavanarāmaṇeyyakaṃ sutavantanimmitaṃ nihatapaccatthikaṃ paccāmittānupapīḷitaṃ vividhavicitradaḷhamaṭṭālakoṭṭhakaṃ varapavaragopuratoraṇaṃ gambhīraparikhāpaṇḍarapākāraparikkhittantepuraṃ. Suvibhattavīthicaccaracatukkasiṅghāṭakaṃ suppasāritānekavidhavarabhaṇḍaparipūritantarāpaṇaṃ vividhadānaggasatasamupasobhitaṃ himagirisikharasaṅkāsavarabhavanasatasahassappaṭimaṇḍitaṃ gajahayarathapattisamākulaṃ abhirūpanaranārigaṇānucaritaṃ ākiṇṇajanamanussaṃ puthukhattiyabrāhmaṇavessasuddaṃ vividhasamaṇabrāhmaṇasabhājanasaṅghaṭitaṃ bahuvidhavijjāvanta naraciranisevitaṃ kāsikakoṭumbarikādinānāvidhavatthāpaṇasampannaṃ suppasāritarucirabahuvidhapupphagandhāpaṇaṃ gandhagandhitaṃ āsīsanīyabahuratanaparipūritaṃ disāmukhasuppasāritāpaṇaṃ siṅgāravāṇijagaṇānucaritaṃ kahāpaṇarajatasuvaṇṇakaṃsapattharaparipūraṃ pajjotamānanidhiniketaṃ pahūtadhanadhaññavittūpakaraṇaṃ paripuṇṇakosakoṭṭhāgāraṃ bahvannapānaṃ bahuvidhakhajjabhojjaleyyapeyyasāyanīyaṃ uttarakurusaṅkāsaṃ sampannasassaṃ āḷakamandā viya devapuraṃ.

Ettha ṭhatvā tesaṃ pubbakammaṃ kathetabbaṃ, kathentena ca chadhā vibhajitvā kathetabbaṃ. Seyyathidaṃ—  pubbayogo milindapañhaṃ lakkhaṇapañhaṃ meṇḍakapañhaṃ anumānapañhaṃ opammakathāpañhanti.

Tattha milindapañho lakkhaṇapañho, vimaticchedanapañhoti duvidho. Meṇḍakapañhopi mahāvaggo, yogikathāpañhoti duvidho.