[503] "Just as the joints of the āsītika creeper or the kāḷa creeper, even so did my major and minor limbs become, through that very eating of so little food. Just as a camel's hoof, even so did my backside become, through that very eating of so little food. Just as a string of spindle-beads (vaṭṭanāvaḷī), even so did my spine stand out, ridged and hollowed, through that very eating of so little food. Just as the rafters of a dilapidated hall are broken down and collapsed, even so were my ribs broken down and collapsed, through that very eating of so little food. Just as in a deep well the gleams of the water are seen sunk deep down, even so in my eye-sockets were the gleams of my eyes seen sunk deep down, through that very eating of so little food. Just as a bitter gourd, cut off raw, becomes shriveled and withered when touched by wind and sun, even so did the skin of my head become shriveled and withered, through that very eating of so little food. Prince, thinking 'I shall touch the skin of my belly,' it was my backbone that I took hold of; thinking 'I shall touch my backbone,' it was the skin of my belly that I took hold of. To such an extent, Prince, had the skin of my belly come to adhere to my backbone, through that very eating of so little food. Prince, thinking 'I shall pass excrement or urine,' I fell down face-first right there, through that very eating of so little food. Prince, seeking to ease this very body, I stroked my limbs with my hand; and as I stroked my limbs with my hand, the hairs, rotted at their roots, fell from my body, through that very eating of so little food. Moreover, Prince, people, on seeing me, spoke thus: 'The ascetic Gotama is black.' Some people spoke thus: 'The ascetic Gotama is not black; the ascetic Gotama is brown.' Some people spoke thus: 'The ascetic Gotama is neither black nor yet brown; the ascetic Gotama is sallow-skinned.' To such an extent, Prince, had the pure, bright color of my skin been ruined, through that very eating of so little food."
English translation from the Pali (Siam Raṭṭha edition) — under review, not for citation.