The Late Han Chinese transcription *mɑ-ṣɨn-lɑ is likely a metathesis of an Eastern Iranic *miθra, not Sanskrit *mi.ɦi.ɾɐ which appears to be an Indic translation. It is curious that sources such as the River of Kings did not use the Sanskrit cognate *mit̪.ɾɐ (मित्र), another term for "sun."