Rāhula was the only son of Siddhartha Gautama (Pāli Siddhattha Gotama), later known as the Buddha

Buddhahood

In Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...

, and his wife Princess Yasodharā.

Accounts of his life differ in certain points. The following is that given in the Pāli Canon

Pāli Canon

The Pāli Canon is the standard collection of scriptures in the Theravada Buddhist tradition, as preserved in the Pāli language. It is the only completely surviving early Buddhist canon, and one of the first to be written down...

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Prince Siddhartha was preparing himself to leave the palace. One account claims that when he received the news of his son's birth he replied Rāhu jāto, bandhanam jātam — "A rāhu is born, a fetter has arisen." Accordingly the child was named Rāhula, meaning "fetter", or "chain", recognizing that the child could be a tie that bound him to his wife Yashodhara

Yashodhara

Princess Yasodharā was the wife of Prince Siddhārtha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism.She later entered the order of Buddhist nuns and is considered an Arahant.-Life:...

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