大唐西域記 12.44

12.44

王城東南五六里，有麻射僧伽藍，此國先王妃所立也。昔者，此國未知桑蠶，聞東國有也，命使以求。時東國君祕而不賜，嚴勅關防，無令桑蠶種出也。瞿薩旦那王乃卑辭下禮，求婚東國；國君有懷遠之志，遂允其請。瞿薩旦那王命使迎婦，而誡曰：「爾致辭東國君女，我國素無絲綿桑蠶之種，可以持來，自為裳服。」女聞其言，密求其種，以桑蠶之子置帽絮中，既至關防，主者遍索，唯王女帽不敢以驗。遂入瞿薩旦那國，止麻射伽藍故地，方備儀禮，奉迎入宮，以桑蠶種留於此地。陽春告始，乃植其桑，蠶月既臨，復事採養。初至也，尚以雜葉𩚅之，自時厥後，桑樹連陰。王妃乃刻石為制，不令傷殺；蠶蛾飛盡，乃得治繭。敢有犯違，明神不祐。遂為先蠶建此伽藍。數株枯桑，云是本種之樹也。故今此國有蠶不殺，竊有取絲者，來年輒不宜蠶。

To the south-east of the royal city 5 or 6 li is a convent called Lu-shi, which was founded by a queen of a former ruler of the country. In old time this country knew nothing about mulberry trees or silkworms. Hearing that the eastern country had them, they sent an embassy to seek for them. At this time the prince of the eastern kingdom kept the secret and would not give the possession of it to any. He kept guard over his territory and would not permit either the seeds of the mulberry or the silkworms' eggs to be carried off. The king of Kustana sent off to seek a marriage union with a princess of the eastern kingdom (China), in token of his allegiance and submission. The king being well-affected to the neighbouring states acceded to his wish. Then the king of Kustana dispatched a messenger to escort the royal princess and gave the following direction: "Speak thus to the eastern princess, — Our country has neither silk or silken stuffs. You had better bring with you some mulberry seeds and silkworms, then you can make robes for yourself."

The princess, hearing these words, secretly procured the seed of the mulberry and silkworms' eggs and concealed them in her head-dress. Having arrived at the barrier, the guard searched everywhere, but he did not dare to remove the princess's head-dress. Arriving then in the kingdom of Kustana, they stopped on the site afterwards occupied by the Lu-shi sanghārāma; thence they conducted her in great pomp to the royal palace. Here then they left the silkworms and mulberry seeds. In the spring-time they set the seeds, and when the time for the silkworms had come they gathered leaves for their food; but from their first arrival it was necessary to feed them on different kinds of leaves, but afterwards the mulberry trees began to flourish. Then the queen wrote on a stone the following decree, "It is not permitted to kill the silkworm! After the butterfly has gone, then the silk may be twined off (the cocoon). Whoever offends against this rule may he be deprived of divine protection." Then she founded this sanghārāma on the spot where the first silkworms were bred; and there are about here many old mulberry tree trunks which they say are the remains of the old trees first planted. From old time till now this kingdom has possessed silkworms, which nobody is allowed to kill, with a view to take away the silk stealthily. Those who do so are not allowed to rear the worms for a succession of years.