AN 8.17-18, Bondage suttas variant reading

Bhikkhus, a woman binds a man in eight ways. What eight? A woman binds a man by her form … by her smile … by her speech … by singing … by weeping … by her appearance … by a present … by her touch. A woman binds a man in these eight ways. Those beings are thoroughly bound who are bound by touch.

Bhikkhus, a man binds a woman in eight ways. What eight? A man binds a woman by his form … by his smile … by his speech … by singing … by weeping … by his appearance … by a present … by his touch. A man binds a woman in these eight ways. Those beings are thoroughly bound who are bound by touch.

Bhikkhu Bodhi’s note on the word touch says

"I read with Ce and Be subaddhā yeva phassena baddhā. Ee has a variant reading here and in the next sutta: subaddhā yeva pāsena baddhā, “[they are] thoroughly bound who are bound by a snare.

I see three possible understandings of this and would be interested in people’s opinions:

  1. Out of the eight ways, touch is especially potent
  2. Every single way of bondage needs a statement after it saying that “Those beings are thoroughly bound who are bound by x”, and the confusion is due to formatting and ellipsis
  3. The variant reading of being bound by a snare is correct, meaning that each of the eight ways is a snare.

There are quite a number of verses in the Theragatha with the refrain “Like a snare of death laid down”, such as Thag 7.1 below, so that could provide support for the variant reading.

When I saw the courtesan seducing me,
Her hands in añjalī,
Adorned with jewellery and all dressed up,
Like a snare of death laid down.

Or Thag 4.9

I saw her coming,
The mother of my son,
Adorned with jewellery and all dressed up,
Like a snare of death laid down.

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