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detached, he hurriedly arranged for Siddhartha to be married to a most beautiful girl named Yashodhara, the daughter of a neighboring king.
Yashodhara was always eager to serve her new husband with her devout love for him. When the prince became 26 years of age he was blessed with a son. Upon hearing the news of the birth of his son, instead of rejoicing, Siddhartha withdrew into a very contemplative mood. He thought to himself that the birth of his son was a bondage that would pull him away from spiritual thoughts. Therefore, he named his son Rahul. Rahu is the mythical deity in Hinduism who obscures the light of the sun during an eclipse.
The king arranged for the prince to be continually immersed in worldly pleasure and distracted from the spiritual path. Nevertheless, even a wife, son, throne, beautiful women, and all means of enjoyment were unable to satisfy or divert Siddhartha from his spiritual path. One day while he was on his way to participate in a garden celebration he noticed an ascetic (sadhu) passing by. Curious about the man who appeared to be an embodiment of detachment and filled with contentment, Siddhartha asked his charioteer about the man. The charioteer said: “Prince! He is a mendicant.” The prince further inquired,
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