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Who were the Buddha’s parents according to traditional accounts?
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According to traditional Buddhist accounts, the Buddha’s parents were:
- Father: King Shuddhodana, a ruler of the Shakya clan based in Kapilavastu.1
- Mother: Queen Maha Maya, who is said to have conceived the Buddha after dreaming that a white elephant entered her womb.21
Following the Buddha's birth in the Lumbini grove, Queen Maha Maya died seven days later. Consequently, the Buddha was reared by his mother’s sister, Mahaprajapati.21