Skip to content
True DhammaLibrary · Community
Mil 3.3.141 min read

The Question on the Mark of Examination

Vicāralakkhaṇapañha

Translated by John Kelly · Pāli: Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka · Public domain (CC0) via SuttaCentral

  • 0.1MilindapañhaMilinda’s Questions
  • 0.2VicāravaggaExamination Chapter

0.314. Vicāralakkhaṇapañha14. Distinguishing Characteristic of Examination Question

1.1“Bhante nāgasena, kiṁlakkhaṇo vicāro”ti?“Venerable Nāgasena, what is the distinguishing characteristic of examination?”1.2“Anumajjanalakkhaṇo, mahārāja, vicāro”ti.“Continuity, your majesty, is the distinguishing characteristic of examination.”

2.1“Opammaṁ karohī”ti.“Please give me an analogy.”2.2“Yathā, mahārāja, kaṁsathālaṁ ākoṭitaṁ pacchā anuravati anusandahati, yathā, mahārāja, ākoṭanā, evaṁ vitakko daṭṭhabbo.“Just as, your majesty, a bronze bowl which has been struck resounds afterwards, and lingers on, applied thought is to be seen as striking,2.3Yathā anuravanā, evaṁ vicāro daṭṭhabbo”ti.examination is to be seen as resounding.”

3.1“Kallosi, bhante nāgasenā”ti.“You are clever, Venerable Nāgasena!”

4.1Vicāralakkhaṇapañho cuddasamo.Distinguishing Characteristic of Examination Question fourteenth

5.1Vicāravaggo tatiyo.Examination Chapter third

6.1Imasmiṁ vagge cuddasa pañhā.In this chapter fourteen questions