金剛經纂要刊定記 2.160

2.160

修多羅或云修妬路，或云素怛覽，此但梵音楚夏之異耳。義翻者。以修多羅正翻云線。由西天以修多羅一名召於四實。謂聖教席經井索線，彼多以華獻佛置之案上，恐風吹散以線貫之。又見此方聖教，能持佛語得無所遺，如線貫華故，以線稱目之。就彼處呼曰修多羅，據此正翻即合云線。此方不貴線稱故翻為經。斯則暗符彼方席經，兼順此土儒道之經。然雖符順彼此，而未免相濫。由是更加契字以揀異之。然更合於修多羅上加欲底二字翻為契經。則唐梵皆足也。

Sūtra (xiūduōluó) is also called xiūdùlù, or sùdálǎn; these are merely dialectal differences in Sanskrit pronunciation. As for translation by meaning: sūtra correctly translates as "thread" (xiàn). This is because in India the single name sūtra designates four actual things: namely, the sacred teachings, mat-warp, well-rope, and thread. There, they mostly offer flowers to the Buddha by placing them on tables; fearing that the wind will blow and scatter them, they string them with thread. Moreover, seeing that the sacred teachings in this land can maintain the Buddha's words so that nothing is lost, just like thread stringing flowers, they therefore designate them with the name "thread". In that place they call it sūtra; according to this, the correct translation should indeed say "thread". This land does not value the designation "thread", so it was translated as "sūtra" (jīng). This then secretly accords with their mat-warp, and additionally conforms to the scriptures (jīng) of Confucianism and Daoism in this land. However, although conforming to both places, it still does not avoid mutual confusion. For this reason, the word "matching" (qì) is further added to distinguish it. Furthermore, it would be appropriate to add the two characters yùdǐ (yukti) above sūtra to translate it as "matching sūtra" (qìjīng). Then both Chinese and Sanskrit would be complete.