Namo tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammā­sambud­dhassa.

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.