Then King Pasenadi addressed a man, “Please, my man, go to Venerable Ānanda, and in my name bow with your head to his feet. Say to him, ‘Sir, King Pasenadi of Kosala bows with his head at your feet.’ And then say, ‘Sir, if you have no urgent business, please wait a while out of sympathy.’”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” that man replied. He did as the king asked.

Ānanda consented with silence. Then King Pasenadi rode on the elephant as far as the terrain allowed, then descended and approached Ānanda on foot. He bowed, stood to one side, and said to Ānanda, “Sir, if you have no urgent business, it would be nice of you to go to the bank of the Aciravatī River out of sympathy.”

Ānanda consented with silence.