[453] "Ānanda, once upon a time, in this very Mithilā there was a king named Maghadeva, a righteous king, a king of the Dhamma, a great king established in the Dhamma. He practiced the Dhamma among brahmins and householders, among townsfolk and countryfolk, and he observed the uposatha on the fourteenth, the fifteenth, and the eighth of the fortnight.
Then, Ānanda, with the passing of many years, many hundreds of years, many thousands of years, King Maghadeva addressed his barber: 'Good barber, when you see grey hairs grown on my head, then you must tell me.'
'Yes, Your Majesty,' the barber replied to King Maghadeva, Ānanda.
And, Ānanda, with the passing of many years, many hundreds of years, many thousands of years, the barber saw grey hairs grown on King Maghadeva's head. Having seen them, he said to King Maghadeva: 'The divine messengers have appeared to Your Majesty: grey hairs are seen grown upon your head.'
'Then, good barber, carefully pull out those grey hairs with tweezers and place them in my cupped hands.'
'Yes, Your Majesty,' the barber replied to King Maghadeva, Ānanda; and carefully pulling out those grey hairs with tweezers, he placed them in King Maghadeva's cupped hands.
Then, Ānanda, King Maghadeva, having granted the barber a village as a boon (gāmavara), had the prince, his eldest son, summoned and said to him: 'Dear prince, the divine messengers have appeared to me: grey hairs are seen grown upon my head. Human sensual pleasures have been enjoyed by me; now it is time to seek divine sensual pleasures. Come, dear prince, take up this kingship. As for me, I shall shave off my hair and beard, put on the ochre robes, and go forth from the household life into homelessness. And so, dear prince, when you in turn see grey hairs grown on your head, then, having granted the barber a village as a boon, and having carefully instructed the prince, your eldest son, in kingship, you should shave off your hair and beard, put on the ochre robes, and go forth from the household life into homelessness. You should keep up this good practice founded by me; do not be my final man. Dear prince, when, during whatever generation of men there occurs the cutting off of such a good practice as this, the man in whose time it is broken becomes the final man among them. Therefore, dear prince, I say this to you: you should keep up this good practice founded by me; do not be my final man.'"
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.