Dictionary of Pali Proper Names v1.c16.679

v1.c16.679

Cīna.—The Pāli name of China. It is several times mentioned in the Milindapañha,¹ once as a place where ships congregate.² Nāgasena speaks³ of a contemporary Cīnarājā who could charm the ocean by an Act of Truth and could enter the ocean to a distance of one league in his chariot drawn by lions, the waves rolling back at his approach. The Apadāna⁴ speaks of the Cīnaraṭṭha in a list of countries and tribes. The Commentaries⁵ speak of the softness of Chinese silk (Cīnapaṭa).