Question

Who was the Mother of Gautama Buddha?
A) Yashodara
B) Yashoda
C) Sujata
D) Mahamaya

Answer 1

Hint: The Buddha who lived in Ancient India, was a philosopher, mendicant, meditator, spiritual teacher, and religious leader. As the father of Buddhism’s world religion, he is reversed, and most Buddhist schools worship him as the Enlightened One who has transcended karma and escaped the cycle of creation and rebirth.

Complete answer:
Let us look into the given options:
Option A) Yashodara – is an incorrect answer because Yashodara was the wife of Prince Siddhartha. She is the Rahula’s mother and the Devadatta’s niece. Thus, it is incorrect here.

Option B) Yashoda – is an incorrect answer because Yashoda, also spelt as Yashodha, is the foster-mother of Lord Krishna and the wife of Nanda. She is described in the Puranic texts of Hinduism. Thus, it is incorrect here.

Option C) Sujata – is an incorrect answer because Sujata was a milkmaid, who is said to have fed Gautama Buddha a bowl of kheer, a milk-rice pudding, ending six years of asceticism. Thus, it is incorrect here.

Option D) Mahamaya – is a correct answer because Mahamaya was the birth mother of Gautama Buddha. His mother was Queen Maya, king Sudhodhana’s wife. The day of the Buddha’s birth is commonly observed as Vesak Day in Buddhist countries. Buddha was the sage on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. She was the sister of Mahapajapati Gotami.

Hence, option D is the correct answer.

Note:
i) Gautama Buddha, simply known as Buddha, was a sage, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded.
ii) Buddha was born in Lumbini, the western part of Nepal in the 6th century B.C.
iii) The Buddha is a title used to refer to a man named “Siddharth Gautama”. It means fully awakened one.