說無垢稱經疏 4.3

4.3

The Commentary says: From here on is the ninth [section], charging Rāhula: first is the charge, and second is the decline. This is the initial charge. Rāhula: here translated as ‘sun-grasper’, which was originally the name of a sun-grasping asura, as mentioned in the Lotus Sūtra: ‘the asura king Rāhu’. He was the vanguard of the asuras: when the asuras were about to battle with Śakra, he served as the vanguard. Seeing the gods of the sun and moon emitting light that shot afar into the eyes of the asuras, this asura grasped the sun with his hand to obscure its light. Now, this son of the Buddha was given his name based on this simile, and it is likewise so: the Buddha’s Dharma is like the sun; because of having this son, the light of the sun of wisdom of our Buddha's Dharma was obstructed, like that asura, so he was named after him. An ancient name was ‘Palace-born’: when Yaśodharā was slandered, she made a solemn vow to clarify herself, saying that he was truly born in the palace and not fathered by another, hence he was named ‘Palace-born’. The causes and conditions of this son are explained at length in the sūtras: because in a past life as a king he kept a śramaṇa who sought an audience waiting for six days without seeing him, or because he blocked a mouse's hole for six days, preventing mother and young from eating, he remained in the womb for six years. Later, when the Buddha went to Kapilavastu, in seven days he magically manifested a thousand monks who all resembled the Buddha, causing him to choose the Buddha; indeed he went to where the Buddha was, thereby making clear that he was the Buddha’s son. [The Buddha] then ordered Śāriputra and Maudgalyāyana to ordain him, at which time he was young. Fearing verbosity, I do not recount it in full.