According to the
Nagarakretagama, Canto 1, Stanzas 4 and 5, he was born in 1256
Saka year, corresponding to 1334 CE, the same year that
Mount Kelud erupted.
Mpu Prapanca, author of the
Nagarakretagama, argued that this was the divine sign that
Batara Girinata (the Javanese name for
Shiva Mahadewa) had manifested himself on earth, reincarnated as the Javanese king. His birth name was Hayam Wuruk, preceded by the title dyah, indicating noble status. Hayam Wuruk's name can be translated as "scholar rooster". He was the only son of
Queen regnant Tribhuwanotunggadewi and Prince Kertawardhana (or Cakradhara). His mother was the daughter of
King Kertarajasa Jayawardhana, founder of
Majapahit, while his father was the Prince of
Tumapel "
Bhre Tumapel", a lesser king of
Singhasari. During Queen Tribhuwana's reign, he was also called
Kumararaja Jiwana, which means Viceroy of Jiwana or
Kahuripan. He had a younger sister named Dyah Nertaja, styled as the Princess of Pajang. The Princess of Pajang was mentioned as a daughter of (Kerta)wardhana in
Nagarakretagama, thus making it obvious that she was Hayam Wuruk's biological sister, whose royal name was Wardhanaduhiteswari, in which
Krom interpreted as "The illustrious Wardhana's daughter, Iswari". However, Nagarakretagama also mentioned another name as the younger sister of Hayam Wuruk, even earlier than Iswari, she was Rajasaduhitendudewi "The ilustrious Rajasa's daughter, Indudewi", daughter of (Wijaya)rajasa as well as the Princess of Lasem. From this evidence, we can guess that Nagarakretagama's writer means that Indudewi was Hayam Wuruk's younger cousin. In contrast, Pararaton said that Hayam Wuruk's aunt Rajadewi and Wijayarajasa's marriage didn't produce any children. Both the
Pararaton and the
Nagarakretagama praised Hayam Wuruk as a handsome, bright, talented, and exceptional student in the courtly martial arts of archery and fencing, who also mastered politics,
scriptures, arts, and music. He was known as an accomplished ceremonial dancer in the court, and some accounts tell of his performances in the traditional ceremonial Javanese
mask dance. His mother, Queen Tribhuwana, educated and groomed him to become the next monarch of Majapahit. ==Reign==