漢語佛典中有一名為「頂生王」的轉輪王。《根本說一切有部律藏》、譬喻文獻中載其生自父之頭頂而為後宮綵女授乳。漢語佛典和漢地注疏對其音寫有「文陀竭」「曼馱多」「曼陀多」之異；對其訓詁，「頂生」外，尚有「我養」「我嬭」「我持」「最勝」等。斯名實對應佛教混合梵語māndhātar-（異讀māndhāta-, mūrdhāta-, mādhāta-）和巴利語mandhātā-。即《摩訶婆羅多》及諸《往世書》中的王者māndhātar-，乃《梨俱吠陀》所傳祭司mandhātár-「建立〔正確的〕思考者」的三合化派生。然Māndhātar在史詩和諸《往世書》乃生自其父的左脇或右腹，其所吸吮的則是因陀羅的手指。其所得名更是因陀羅所言「將我吸吮」。可知吠陀時代以降，因無人識得Māndhātar之名的真正源頭mandhātár-，故而以大眾詞源學之手段，編造了Māndhātar吸吮因陀羅手指之事。而北傳佛教文獻保留了「吸吮」這一情節，改換了吸吮對象，添加了「自頂而生」的故事。此外，漢譯《中阿含經》中屢見「剎利頂生王」之表達，其在巴利語《中部》中對應rājā- khattiya- muddhāvasitta-「於頭頂被灑水的剎帝利」即「被灌頂的王者」，乃頂生王外的其他王者之稱。他種《尼柯耶》中的rājā- khattiya- muddhāvasitta-，在《中阿含》外的漢譯《阿含》中，卻並沒有被譯作「剎利頂生王」。是故，「剎利頂生王」的譯法，或屬《中阿含》譯者的個人風格，或亦曾受頂生故事的影響。

An Indian cakravartin named 頂生王 (Dingsheng Wang) is frequently mentioned in Chinese Buddhist scriptures. In the Mūlasarvāstivādin Vinaya and Avādana(s), he was said to be born from his father’s head and nursed by the palace maids. In Chinese Buddhist translations and commentaries, diff erent transcriptions for his name are attested, such as 文陀竭 (Wentuojie), 曼馱多 (Mantuoduo), 曼陀多 (Mantuoduo). Apart from 頂生 “born from a head”, there are other interpretations of his name in Chinese Buddhist scriptures, such as 我養 (woyang) “I raise”, 我嬭 (wonai) “I nurse”, 我持 (wochi) “I hold”, and even 最勝 (zuisheng) “most victorious”. These are various translations in diff erent texts of what the palace maids said to express their willingness to nurse this king. The name 頂生王 (Dingsheng Wang) corresponds to the BHS māndhātar- and the Pāli mandhātā-, which is the cakravartin named Māndhātar in the Mahābhārata and Purāṇa(s). This is a vr̥ ddhi-formation of the name of an ancient priest from the R̥ gveda named mandhātár “establisher of (correct) thoughts”. However, King Māndhātar is born from his father’s left side or right abdomen in the epic and Purāṇa(s). Moreover, what he suckled is the finger of Indra. The reason for his name comes from Indra’s words, namely “Suckle on me!” (mām ... dhayi/dhā). It can be speculated that the origin of Māndhātar, namely mandhātár- “who has (correct) thoughts”, has been lost after the Vedic period. As a result, the story of Māndhātar suckling on Indra’s finger was fabricated as an folketymological explanation. The story in Northern Buddhism not only retained the plot of “suckling”, but also changed what he suckling on. The story of “born from a head” is further developed. Furthermore, in the Chinese translation of the Madhyamāgama, a fi xed formula 剎利頂生王 (Shali Dingsheng Wang) appears several times. It corresponds to rājā- khattiya- muddhāvasitta- in the Pāli Majjhima-Nikāya, meaning “the Śākyan king who was sprinkled on the head”, i.e. “the anointed Śākyan king”, which is the epithet of other kings. On the other hand, this formula is not translated as 剎利頂生 王in other Chinese Āgama translations besides the Madhyamāgama. Therefore, 剎利頂生王can be considered as a personal style of the translator of the Madhyamāgama, or it may have been infl uenced by the tradition of the story of Māndhātar in Buddhist scriptures.