Who was Rahula, the Buddha’s son?

Rahula was the son of the Buddha and his wife, Princess Yashodhara. Upon learning of his son's birth, the Buddha famously referred to the child as a "fetter," and he was subsequently named Rahula, which means "fetter".1

There are varying accounts regarding the timing of his birth: some traditions state he was born shortly before the Buddha renounced his royal life, while others suggest he was conceived just before the Buddha's departure and born on the night his father achieved enlightenment.1

Years later, when the Buddha returned to his home city of Kapilavastu, Yashodhara sent Rahula to his father to ask for his inheritance or patrimony. In response, the Buddha had the young boy ordained as a monk. This event caused the Buddha's father, King Shuddhodana, great distress, leading the Buddha to establish a new rule for the monastic order requiring that a son be ordained only with the permission of his parents.2