1836.] Buddhist Chronology. 533 



principle, the elect of a great portion of the human race. Maharaja ! 

 seek them ; enter into a controversy (with them) and solve doubts." 



The narrative proceeds to describe the disputation of Milindu, 

 first, with Purdna-kassapo, and then, with Makkhaligdsdlo, and re- 

 presents that as the monarch confuted them and similarly overcame 

 every other disputant, all the arahat priests absented themselves for 

 twelve years from Sdgald, and retired to the vicinity of the Rukkhitatalo 

 mountain in the Himawanta regions. At the intercession of Assa- 

 gatta thero, in behalf of the Buddhistical priesthood generally, 

 Sakkha, the supreme of dewas, is represented to have invoked Na'ga 

 Se'na, who was in the Ketumati heavens, and called Maha Se'na, to be 

 born in the human world, for the purpose of confuting Milindu ; to 

 which Na'ga Se'na ultimately consented. Accordingly " he is con- 

 ceived in the womb of the wife of the brahman named So'nutsara, 

 an inhabitant of the village Kajangalla on the borders of the Hima- 

 wanta mountains," and becomes highly accomplished and perfect 

 master of the three vedas. Doubts are then engendered in his mind 

 as to the correctness of the doctrines contained in those vedas. While 

 in this frame of mind, Rohana thero, as predestined, enters into a 

 controversy with him, converts him, and removes him to Rakkhitatala. 

 There he is admitted into the " Samanera" order of the Buddhistical 

 priesthood, and acquires the Abhidhammapitaka ; and is ordained 

 an " Upasampada" priest at the age of 20 years. He is next 

 placed under the tuition of Assagutta thero, apparently in the same 

 village, for three months, where he first attains the sanctification of 

 " Sdtapatti." At the termination of this period, he is sent to place 

 himself under the charge of Dhammarakkhita thero of the Asdkdrdmo 

 temple* in Pataliputra, which is stated to be distant " one hundred 

 yojanas" from Kajangalla, the birth-place of Naga Se'na. On the 

 road he meets with a Setthi, who was travelling also to Pataliputto, 

 with a train of five hundred carts. This Setthi maintains him on the 

 road, and hears his discourses propounded from the Abidhamma. At 

 Asdkdrdma vihdra, in the course of three months, he acquires the 

 Pitakattaya by heart, and in three more, masters their import, and 

 attains " Arahat." He is then summoned to appear before the 

 Arahat priests, who had retired to Rakkhitatala mountain in Hima- 

 wanta ; and he repairs thither. He is there enjoined by these Arahat 

 priests to proceed to Sdgald and cope with Milindu raja, whose 

 triumph over all other theros had driven them to the Hima- 



* Vide Ch. V. of the Mahdwanso, for the construction of this temple, by 

 Dhamma'so'ka. 



