[32] Bhikkhus, then, after the passing of many years, many hundreds of years, many thousands of years, Prince Vipassī addressed his charioteer: 'Friend charioteer, harness the finest carriages; we shall go to the pleasure garden to view the lovely grounds.'
'Yes, sire,' bhikkhus, the charioteer replied in assent to Prince Vipassī, and having harnessed the finest carriages, he informed Prince Vipassī: 'Sire, the finest carriages are harnessed; you may now do as you think fit.'
Bhikkhus, then Prince Vipassī, having mounted a fine carriage, set out for the pleasure garden together with the other fine carriages.
Bhikkhus, as he was driving out to the pleasure garden, Prince Vipassī saw an aged man, crooked as a roof-rafter, bent, leaning on a staff, trembling as he walked, ailing, his youth gone. Having seen him, he addressed the charioteer: 'Friend charioteer, what has been done to this man? His hair is not like that of other men, and his body is not like that of other men.'
'Sire, that is what is called an aged man.'
'But why, friend charioteer, is he called an aged man?'
'Sire, he is called an aged man because now he will not have long to live.'
'But, friend charioteer, am I too subject to aging (jarā)? Have I not passed beyond aging?'
'Sire, both you and we are all subject to aging; we have not passed beyond aging.'
'Then, friend charioteer, enough of the pleasure garden for today. Drive back from here to the inner palace.'
'Yes, sire,' bhikkhus, the charioteer replied in assent to Prince Vipassī, and drove back from there to the inner palace.
There, bhikkhus, Prince Vipassī, having gone to the inner palace, unhappy (dukkha) and dejected, brooded: 'Shame indeed, sirs, upon this thing called birth (jāti), in that for one who is born, aging will appear!'
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.