[15] Now at that time the Vajjī country was afflicted with famine; life was hard to sustain, the ground was white with bones, and food was distributed by ticket; it was not easy to keep oneself going by gleaning or by holding out (a bowl). Then it occurred to the Venerable Sudinna: "At present the Vajjī country is afflicted with famine; life is hard to sustain, the ground is white with bones, and food is distributed by ticket; it is not easy to keep oneself going by gleaning or by holding out (a bowl). But I have many relatives in Vesālī, rich, of great wealth, of great possessions, with abundant gold and silver, with abundant means and resources, with abundant wealth and grain. Suppose I were to dwell supported by my relatives: my relatives too, depending on me, will give gifts and make merit, the bhikkhus will receive gains, and I shall not be wearied for alms-food." Then the Venerable Sudinna, having set his lodging in order and taken his bowl and robe, set out for Vesālī; wandering by stages on tour, he arrived at Vesālī. There the Venerable Sudinna dwelt at Vesālī, in the Great Wood, in the hall of the gabled house (Kūṭāgārasālā).
The relatives of the Venerable Sudinna heard: "Sudinna, the son of the Kalanda (householder), it is said, has arrived at Vesālī." They brought to the Venerable Sudinna an offering of food amounting to some sixty potfuls of rice (thālipāka). Then the Venerable Sudinna, having given away those sixty potfuls of rice to the bhikkhus, dressed in the morning, took his bowl and robe, and entered Kalandagāma for alms; walking for alms in unbroken succession from house to house in Kalandagāma, he approached his own father's dwelling. Now at that time a slave-woman of the Venerable Sudinna's relatives was intending to throw away some barley porridge (kummāsa) left over from the previous evening. Then the Venerable Sudinna said to that slave-woman of his relatives: "Sister, if that is to be thrown away, pour it here into my bowl." Then, as the slave-woman of the Venerable Sudinna's relatives was pouring that stale barley porridge into the Venerable Sudinna's bowl, she recognized the characteristic marks of his hands, of his feet, and of his voice. Then the slave-woman of the Venerable Sudinna's relatives approached the Venerable Sudinna's mother; having approached, she said to the Venerable Sudinna's mother: "May it please you to know, my lady: the master's son Sudinna has arrived."
"If, girl, you speak the truth, I shall make you a slave no longer."
Now at that time the Venerable Sudinna was eating that stale barley porridge, leaning against the base of a certain wall. And the father of the Venerable Sudinna, coming from his work, saw the Venerable Sudinna eating that stale barley porridge, leaning against the base of a certain wall. Having seen him, he approached the Venerable Sudinna; having approached, he said to the Venerable Sudinna: "Can it really be, dear Sudinna, that you will eat stale barley porridge? Should you not, dear Sudinna, go to your own house?"
"We did go, householder, to your house; from there this stale barley porridge was obtained by me."
Then the father of the Venerable Sudinna, taking the Venerable Sudinna by the arm, said to the Venerable Sudinna: "Come, dear Sudinna, we shall go to the house." Then the Venerable Sudinna approached his own father's dwelling; having approached, he sat down on the seat that had been prepared. Then the father of the Venerable Sudinna said to the Venerable Sudinna: "Eat, dear Sudinna."
"Enough, householder; my meal for today has been completed."
"Consent, dear Sudinna, to the meal for tomorrow."
The Venerable Sudinna consented by remaining silent. Then the Venerable Sudinna rose from his seat and departed.
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.