It is still unknown, but it is considered that he was born around 1150 from the fact that his third elder brother Gyokai (second elder brother by the same mother, later known as the twenty-second Kumano betto) was born in 1146, and his fourth elder brother Hanmyo (third elder brother by the same mother, later known as the twenty-third Kumano betto). (according to "Three Mountains in Kumano and Kumano betto" by Toshiyuki SAKAMOTO, published by Seibundo Publishing Co., Ltd, 2005)
生年は未詳であるが、1146年生まれの3兄行快（同母次兄，後の22代熊野別当）、1148年生まれの4兄範命（同母3兄、後の23代熊野別当）との関係から、1150年前後に比定される見解が出されている（阪本敏行『熊野三山と熊野別当』（清文堂出版、2005年）より）。