1"Bhikkhus, the uninstructed worldling speaks of ‘the ocean, the ocean.’ sn.iv.158 But that is not the ocean in the Noble One's Discipline; that is only a great mass of water, a great body of water.

"There are, bhikkhus, forms cognizable by the eye that are desirable, lovely, agreeable, pleasing, sensually enticing, tantalizing. This is called the ocean in the Noble One's Discipline. Here this world with its devas, Māra, and Brahma, this generation with its ascetics and brahmins, its devas and humans, for the most Part 1s submerged, [n.163] Samunna, glossed by Spk with kilinna tinta nimugga, "defiled, tainted, submerged." In Skt samunna is the past participle of the verb samunatti, from which the noun samudra (Pali: samudda), ocean, is also derived; see MW, s.v. samud. Spk says that "for the most part" (yebhuyyena) is said making an exception of the noble disciples. The sequel is also at SN12.60. become like a tangled skein, like a knotted ball of thread, like matted reeds and rushes, and cannot pass beyond the plane of misery, the bad destinations, the nether world, saṁsara.

2"There are sounds cognizable by the ear … mental phenomena cognizable by the mind that are desirable, lovely, agreeable, pleasing, sensually enticing, tantalizing. Here this world with its devas, Māra, and Brahma, this generation with its ascetics and brahmins, its devas and humans, for the most Part 1s submerged, become like a tangled skein, like a knotted ball of thread, like matted reeds and rushes, and cannot pass beyond the plane of misery, the bad destinations, the nether world, saṁsara. [n.164] Ee wrongly takes the first verse below to be prose and makes it the first paragraph of the next sutta. Woodward, at KS 4:99, has been misled by this division. The verses are also at It 57–58.

3"One who has expunged lust and hate
Along with the taint of ignorance,
Has crossed this ocean so hard to cross
With its dangers of sharks, demons, waves.

4"The tie-surmounter, death-forsaker, without acquisitions,
Has abandoned suffering [n.165] I read with Be and Se pahāsi dukkhaṁ, as against Ee pahāya dukkhaṁ. It 58 also has pahāsi. for no renewed existence.
Passed away, he cannot be measured, I say:
He has bewildered the King of Death."

1"‘Samuddo, samuddo’ti, bhikkhave, assutavā puthujjano bhāsati. Neso, bhikkhave, ariyassa vinaye samuddo. Mahā eso, bhikkhave, udakarāsi mahāudakaṇṇavo.

Santi, bhikkhave, cakkhuviññeyyā rūpā iṭṭhā kantā manāpā piyarūpā kāmūpasaṁhitā rajanīyā. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, ariyassa vinaye samuddo. Etthāyaṁ sadevako loko samārako sabrahmako sassamaṇabrāhmaṇī pajā sadevamanussā yebhuyyena samunnā tantākulakajātā kulagaṇṭhikajātā muñjapabbajabhūtā, apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ saṁsāraṁ nātivattati … pe … .

2Santi, bhikkhave, jivhāviññeyyā rasā … pe … santi, bhikkhave, manoviññeyyā dhammā iṭṭhā kantā manāpā piyarūpā kāmūpasaṁhitā rajanīyā. Ayaṁ vuccati, bhikkhave, ariyassa vinaye samuddo. Etthāyaṁ sadevako loko samārako sabrahmako sassamaṇabrāhmaṇī pajā sadevamanussā yebhuyyena samunnā tantākulakajātā kulagaṇṭhikajātā muñjapabbajabhūtā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ saṁsāraṁ nātivattatīti.

3Yassa rāgo ca doso ca,
Avijjā ca virājitā;
So imaṁ samuddaṁ sagāhaṁ sarakkhasaṁ,
Saūmibhayaṁ duttaraṁ accatari.

4Saṅgātigo maccujaho nirupadhi,
Pahāsi dukkhaṁ apunabbhavāya;
Atthaṅgato so na puneti,
Amohayī maccurājanti brūmī"ti.

Dutiyaṁ.