ພະນາກຄະເສນ ເປັນລູກຂອງພາມຊື່ວ່າ ໂສນຸດຕະຣະແລະນາງພາມມະນີ ເກີດໃນໝູ່ບ້ານກະຊັງຄະລະ ເມື່ອນາກຄະເສນຈະເລີນໄວໄດ້ ໗ ປີ ກໍ່ໄດ້ຮຽນສິລະປະວິທະຍາແລະສິລະປະສາດອື່ນໆໄດ້ຢ່າງວ່ອງໄວ. ວັນໜຶ່ງ ນາກຄະເສນໄດ້ພົບກັບພະເຖລະອົງໜຶ່ງພະໂຣຫະນະເຖລະທີ່ມາບິນດະບາດພາຍໃນບ້ານ ເມື່ອໄດ້ເຫັນພະເຖລະກໍ່ເກີດປິຕິໂສມະນັດແລະຄິດວ່າສະມະນະອົງນີ້ອາດຈະຮູ້ສິລະປະວິທະຍາທີ່ເປັນແກ່ນສານ ອັນຕົນຍັງບໍ່ຮູ້ ຈຶ່ງໄດ້ສົນທະນາກັບພະເຖລະແລະເກີດຄວາມເຫຼື້ອມໃສສັດທາ. ຕໍ່ມາ ຈຶ່ງໄດ້ບວດເປັນສາມະເນນກັບພະເຖລະ. ເມື່ອອາຍຸຄົບ ໒໐ ປີ ຈຶ່ງໄດ້ອຸປະສົມບົດເປັນພິກຂຸ. ໃນກາລະຄັ້ງນັ້ນ ມີກະສັດອົງໜຶ່ງພະນາມວ່າ ພະຍາມິລິນທະຣາດ ຊົງສະເຫວີຍຣາຊະສົມບັດໃນເມືອງສາຄະລະນະຄອນ. ພະອົງເປັນຜູ້ມີທິດຖິແລະໄດ້ອວດອ້າງວ່າເປັນຜູ້ຮູ້ສາດສະໜາຫລາຍກວ່າຄົນອື່ນໆ ແລະທ້າໂຕ້ວາທະກັບສະມະນະຊີພາມຕະຫຼອດເຖິງປະຊາຊົນທົ່ວໄປ. ເມື່ອບໍ່ມີໃຜມາໂຕ້ຕອບດ້ວຍ ກໍ່ສໍາຄັນຜິດຄິດວ່າຕົນເອງເປັນຜູ້ມີສະຕິປັນຍາອັນສະຫຼຽວສະຫຼາດ. ພະໂຣຫະນະເຖລະຈຶ່ງໃຫ້ພະນາກຄະເສນໄປສະແດງທໍາ ເພື່ອຕອບບັນຫາຕ່າງໆໃຫ້ພະຍາມິລິນທະຣາດເກີດຄວາມເຫຼື້ອມໃສ. ເມື່ອພະນາກຄະເສນ ໄດ້ສົນທະນາກັບພະຍາມິນລິນທະຣາດແລະມີການໂຕ້ຕອບບັນຫາຊຶ່ງກັນແລະກັນ ກໍ່ເຮັດໃຫ້ພະຍາມິລິນເຂົ້າໃຈຫລັກທໍາແຫ່ງພະພຸດທະສາດສະໜາ ພ້ອມກັບສະລະຄວາມເຫັນຜິດ ຍອມຮັບນັບຖືພະພຸດທະສາດສະໜານັບຕັ້ງແຕ່ນັ້ນມາ.
Venerable Nagasena was the son of a Brahmin named Sonuttara and Brahmani, born in the village of Kasangkhala. When Nagasena was seven years old, he quickly learned art and other scientific arts. One day, Nagasena met a monk named Rohana Thera who was walking in his village for collecting food. While seeing the monk, he thought that this monk might know the art of science which I did not know. After talking with the monk, he became faithful to the monk. Later, Nagasena was ordained as a novice by the monk. When he was completely 20 years old, he became a monk. At the time, there was a king named Menander who rules the city of Sakhala. The king had a conceit and boasted that he knew about religions more than other people and challenged debates with religious leaders and even the general public. When no one came to interact with him, he mistakenly thought that he was a wise person. So, Venerable Rohana sent Venerable Nagasena to converse with the king on the issues of the Dhamma in order to make him faithful in the Buddha’s teaching. When Venerable Nagasena had a conversation with King Menander and discussed various problems with each other, King Menander understood the principles of the Buddhist teachings and gave up his wrong view and accepted Buddhism since then.
Extent: 1 palm-leaf manuscript containing 22 leaves.
Size and dimensions of original material: Hight 4.3 cm, width 58.3 cm, depth 0.8 cm.
Condition of original material: Good.
Scribe(s): Unidentified.
Original institution reference: Manuscript Cabinet No.1.
