Siṁhala，譯曰執師子。釋迦如來往昔為大商主時之名。亡羅剎國而立僧伽羅國。西域記十一曰：「昔有大商主云僧伽，其子名僧伽羅。率五百商人入海採寶，為風波飄流至一羅剎女國。羅剎女來迎之，誘入鐵城中。後悟其為鬼女，一心祈禱，感一天馬，五百商人皆乘之免危難。羅剎女知誘惑不成，凌空至僧伽羅家，呈媚哀請。僧伽羅怒，拔劍欲斬之。羅剎女去而訴之於王。王惑其美色，使內侍。僧伽羅諫，不聽。已而羅剎女殺王，持其屍還本處。國人立僧伽羅為王。僧伽羅立為王，率兵至海島，悉殺鬼女，遂有其國。仍以王名為國號，謂為僧伽羅國。」即今之錫蘭國也。
Siṃhala, Ceylon; also name of the Buddha in a previous incarnation when, as a travelling merchant, he, along with 500 others, was driven on to the island; there the rākṣasīs bewitched them; later the Buddha and his companions (like the Argonauts) escaped, and ultimately he destroyed the witches and founded his kingdom there.
僧伽羅 西域記：唐言執師子，非印度境，是南海路。其祖擒執師子，父殺應王慕，王畏暴逆，重賞遠放，船漂寶渚，遂立此國。