On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v1.c12.4

v1.c12.4

The clause in the above passage from the Records rendered "they wore glossy-white clothing made of silk, muslin, &c." is in the original *yi-fu-hsien-pai-so-wei-kiao-she-ye-yi-chao-hsia-yi* (衣服鮮白所謂僑奢耶衣朝霞衣). This is translated by Julien "Ils s'habillent avec des étoffes d'une blancheur éclatante qu'on appelle Kiao-che-ye (Kaúçeya-soie), et portent des vêtements rouges comme le soleil levant, &c." But Kaúçeya, with which we have met already, and *chao-hsia* are the materials of the white garments worn by the people. The words *chao-hsia-yi* cannot possibly be made to mean "et portent des vêtements rouges comme le soleil levant". *Chao-hsia* denotes the light vapours of dawn, the eastern glow which heralds sunrise. But it is the name given by the Chinese Buddhist pilgrims and writers to certain fine transparent fabrics which they found in India and other foreign countries. Thus the dancing girls of Fu-nan are described as "using *chao-hsia* for clothing". This material was a very fine white gauze or muslin capable of being dyed; it was soft and transparent like the fleecy vapours of dawn. The images of the P'usas, and other Buddhist worthies, were often made to represent these beings as wearing *chao-hsia-chün* or skirts of transparent material. Such *koa* vestments may be seen on many of the Buddhist figures found in India and depicted in books. But *chao-hsia* as an article of clothing was evidently a kind of muslin simply fine and light.¹