翻譯名義集 7.52

7.52

[Kauśeya] Master Ying translates this as worm garment, referring to cloth made from the silk floss of wild silkworms. The Shichao says: 'It is a black woollen mat.' Ning's Yinyi says: 'In Sanskrit it is called kauśeya, translated as wild silk floss. In eastern India there is a country named Oḍra; when the non-glutinous rice is about to ripen, its leaves turn into worms, which then eat the rice. People harvest and steam them to make floss. Such silk floss is called mahābhadra. This translates as great robe; the robe is extremely expensive, namely a robe of great value.' The Gantong zhuan says: 'I have observed that the Sanskrit monks coming from the west all wear cotton cloth. When asked in detail, they answered: "In the five Indies, none wear silkworm cloth." From this arose my intention to compose this Treatise on Robes and Adornment.'