When was the Milinda Panha composed?
Scholars place the composition of the Milinda Panha between 100 BC and 200 AD. This timeframe covers a period when Indo-Greek kingdoms interacted with Indian Buddhist traditions.
Questions about Milinda Panha
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who are the main figures in the dialogue of the Milinda Panha?
The text purports to record a dialogue between King Menander I and the sage Nāgasena. King Menander I is described as learned, eloquent, wise, and able while Nāgasena mentions his father Soñuttara and teachers Rohana and Assagutta of Vattaniya.
Which languages were used for the original and translations of the Milinda Panha?
Oskar von Hinüber suggests the original language might have been Gandhari rather than Sanskrit or Pali. A second Chinese translation known as Nagasena-bhiksu-sutra dates from the 4th century and corresponds to the first three chapters of the work.
Is the Milinda Panha considered canonical by all Buddhist traditions?
Burmese Buddhism regards the Milindapañha as canonical and it forms part of the book of Khuddaka Nikāya in that tradition. Thai and Sri Lankan Buddhism do not regard the work as canonical despite the surviving Theravāda text being written in Sinhalese script.
When was the oldest manuscript of the Pali text copied?
The oldest manuscript of the Pali text was copied in 1495 AD. Significant sections of the text are lost based on references within the work itself and Milinda remains the only Pali text known to have been passed down as incomplete.