user955: I am speaking of course of Siddhartha Gautama's son. I was told Rahula means obstacle. Is this true?

user5388: I'm a Buddhist and at the temple I attended, Rāhula mean "a rope tying him back". Our temple has many monks so I find this information reliable.

user13651: Rahu is the name of the shadowy god of eclipses. There are enough Indians named after Hindu gods to believe that Rahula was named after this god. Rahul is a common enough Indians named and this explanation seems far more likely than the one normally given in Buddhist texts.

user295: 
"Rāhulajāto, bandhanam jātam"   the word rāhula meaning bond

(Source: http://www.palikanon.com/english/pali_names/r/raahula.htm)
edit: see comments below

955: <p>I am speaking of course of Siddhartha Gautama's son. I was told Rahula means obstacle. Is this true?</p>
 5388: <p>I'm a Buddhist and at the temple I attended, Rāhula mean "a rope tying him back". Our temple has many monks so I find this information reliable.</p>
 13651: <p>Rahu is the name of the shadowy god of eclipses. There are enough Indians named after Hindu gods to believe that Rahula was named after this god. Rahul is a common enough Indians named and this explanation seems far more likely than the one normally given in Buddhist texts.</p>
 295: <blockquote>
  <p>"Rāhulajāto, bandhanam jātam"   the word rāhula meaning bond</p>
</blockquote>

<p>(Source: <a href="http://www.palikanon.com/english/pali_names/r/raahula.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.palikanon.com/english/pali_names/r/raahula.htm</a>)</p>

<p>edit: see comments below</p>
