1.1Rājā āha—The king asked:1.2“bhante nāgasena, ‘samuddo samuddo’ti vuccati, kena kāraṇena udakaṁ ‘samuddo’ti vuccatī”ti?“Venerable Nāgasena, it is called ‘the sea, the sea’. Why is the water called the sea?”1.3Thero āha—The elder replied,1.4“yattakaṁ, mahārāja, udakaṁ, tattakaṁ loṇaṁ.“Just as much as there is water, your majesty, so much there is salt.1.5Yattakaṁ loṇaṁ, tattakaṁ udakaṁ.Just as much as there is salt, so much there is water.1.6Tasmā ‘samuddo’ti vuccatī”ti.Therefore, it is called the ‘sea’.”

2.1“Kallosi, bhante nāgasenā”ti.“You are clever, Venerable Nāgasena!”

3.1Samuddapañho dvādasamo.Question on the Sea twelfth