On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v1.c8.s1.6

v1.c8.s1.6

In the first place then we find that there is doubt as to what was the precise form of the name of the country in Chang's statement. So instead of the character for Shên in Shên-tu given above we meet with several various readings. Such are 乾 and 犉 which probably represent one sound, something like Get or K'at. Now a foreign name like K'atu or Gachu as a name for India seems to have been in use. Then a third various reading for the Shên of Shên-tu is K'ien or Kan (乾) which may have been originally a copyist's slip for one of the characters read K'at.¹ We find also a fourth various reading for the syllable Shên of Shên-tu, viz—Küan or Yun (捐).² But the country described in Chinese literature under the name Yun-tu was evidently one to the east or north-east of all that has been called India.³ Then accepting the character now read Shên as the genuine text of Chang's report we are told that in this name it is to be pronounced like *in* or *yin*. This does not seem very improbable. But an etymological authority tells us that the character in question has, in this name, the sound *T'ien*.¹ There may be some truth in this statement. But it is not supported by authority, and seems rather fanciful.