On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v1.c6.s2.22

v1.c6.s2.22

The *Chao-hu-li* (昭 or 照 怙 釐) of this passage is apparently a foreign, perhaps an Indian word, but we have no hint as to its meaning. In other works we read of a great *Chio-li* Buddhist monastery in this¹ country, but we also find *Chio-li* Buddhist buildings in other places. This *Chio-li* is perhaps another form of the word transcribed *Chao-hu-li*, although I-ching tells us it is Chinese.² As a Chinese term transcribed 雀 離 *Chio-li* would mean "small birds such as sparrows and finches", but it is also written *Chio-li* (鳥 梨) and this seems to be a foreign word. Our pilgrim's *Chao-hu-li* and the *Chio-li* of other writers may perhaps represent the Indian word *Chūri* which denotes a small bird like the sparrow. But the tope at the place where the brahmin carrying a sparrow interrogated the Buddha is the only one of the Buddhist buildings called Chio-li to which this interpretation can be applied with any probability. Another suggestion is that Chio-li and Chao-hu-li may be the foreign term represented by the common transcription Chu-li (侏離) which means motley or particoloured, of mixed bright and dark colours. This interpretation would evidently suit some, and perhaps would apply to all, of the buildings to which the terms in question are applied.