本文所論，首先是中國求法者出國前學習梵文的途徑為何？他們的語文師資，最初是來華弘法的天竺或西域僧人，後來加入了旅居中夏的印度居士，更有求法歸來的華僧和譯場中人。 至於西僧教授華人梵文所使用的媒介語，則是漢言。原先他們為了在禹域弘法而學習華夏語文，而居住於今河西走廊一帶的小月氏人曾扮演過重要角色。事緣自東漢以至西晉初，印度曾是建國於阿姆河流域的大月氏國底附庸國，印度僧侶多數懂一點宗主國的月氏語，當他們自陸路進入玉門關之後，便利用月氏語向兼通兩種語文的小月氏人學習漢語。此外，依本文所考，西僧往往跟旅行商人們結伴東邁，他們在途中可能通過粟特語或 Prakrit，跟同行的漢族旅行商人先學點初階漢語，然後在來華後生活於華言環境中逐漸加強中國語文的能力，於是可以通過漢語來教授梵文。 及至華人求法者學過梵文再首途之後，循陸西行，沿途所經都是西域的佛教國度，而梵文在這些國度的佛寺中是通用語文，因此中夏求法者只要找上一家佛寺，便可使用梵文作媒介語來要求幫助，不必先學懂沿途各國的不同語言。自中國跋涉往印度，陸途大抵要走上三年，倘使三年來求法者都一直使用梵文跟西域僧侶交涉；甚或在西域順便聽講佛法的話，則達印度時，他們的梵文已很流利了。因此古時循陸求法者遠比循海的來得多。 至於僧史中載有兼通各種外語的求法高僧，則關乎他們的學習語文能力和興趣，西行不必多學不同語文。

　　　　　From 3rd Century to 8th Century A.D. there were many Chinese Buddhist cleric or lay pilgrims went to India to seek for the Buddhist Dharma. Before their departure, they should have to learn Sanskrit in order to communicate with the Indian Buddhist monks. Firstly, they learnt this language from the monks who came from India or the Buddhist states in Central Asia to China to preach the Buddhist truth. And then, they followed the Indian lay immigrants, the Chinese pilgrims who returned from India and the member of the Translation Centres in China to learn. In order to go to China to surmon the Buddha's doctrines, the Western monks should have to learn the Chinese language in the first place. Or they could not communicating with the Chinese people after arrived. Therefore, they accompanied with the Chinese travelling merchants to head China and learnt the above-mentioned language en route. The media for their linguistic learning, the author believes, were Sogdian and Prakrit. After they reached the Ho-hsi Corridor of China, the Western clerics advanced their Chinese Language by the assistance of the bilingual Lesser Juchih people that living there. After that, the Western monks taught Sanskrit trough the media of Chinese to the Chinese monks or laymen who intended to make their pilgrimage to India. Why did the people of Lesser Ju-chih could give hand to the Western monks? It is due to the fact that during lst Century to 3rd Century A.D., India had once been under the sovereignty of the Gandharaa (also known as 'Kusana' or 'Kushan') Kingdom that established by the people of Great Ju-chih in the Valley of Amu Daria. In this situation, the Indian monks of this period would have been learning more or less the sovereign Ju-chih language. And the people of Lesser Ju-chic, however, were the same people of the Great Ju-chih. Therefore, the Western monks could find their tutors to help advancing their Chinese Linguistic level after arrived the Corridor mentioned above. For the Lesser Ju-chih spoke both Chinese and their own language. After the Chinese pilgrims had already learnt Sanskrit to a certain level, they began to engage their pilgrimage. If a pilgrim who went westward by land, along his pilgrimage route were the Central Asian Buddhist states. And Sanskrit was very popular among the Monastic Order of these state. In case that Chinese pilgrim who facing some difficulties and seeking help, simply he just found a Buddhist establishment in that strange country and used Sanskrit to communicate with the monastic members, his problem would therefore be solved. Therefore, this is no need for a Chinese pilgrim to learn many foreign languages of the different Central Asian states. Normally, one should take a three year journey to reach India from China in the past. In case a Chinese pilgrim who used to speak Sanskrit to the Central Asian clerics, and listened to the preachers of the local monks, or even debated Buddhist doctrines with them during his three year journey, his Sanskrit would become very fluent when arrived India. This would be the reason why the Chinese pilgrims who set foot by land more then that by sea to go to India. According to the historical records, some of the Chinese cleric pilgrims learnt many different western language during their pilgrimage. This is due to their personal linguistic talent and interest.