Consider the following state- ments : I. According to Mahavamsa, Ashoka turned to the Buddha's dhamma when his nephew Nigrodha preached the doctrine to him. 2. Dlayavadana ascribes Ashoka being drawn to the Buddha's teaching to the influence of Samudra, a merchant-turned monk. 3. Dipavamsa speaks of Samudra, the 12-year-old son of a merchant. as the key figure in Ashoka's coming under the Influence of the Buddhist dhamma. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

According to the Sri Lankan chronicles, specifically the Mahavamsa and Dipavamsa, Ashoka was drawn to Buddhism after being impressed by the serene demeanor of his nephew, Nigrodha, who had become a monk at the age of seven. Statement 1 is therefore correct. The Divyavadana (and the related Ashokavadana) provides a different narrative, ascribing Ashoka's conversion to the influence of a monk named Samudra. In this Northern Buddhist tradition, Samudra is often described as a merchant-turned-monk who remained unperturbed by the tortures in Ashoka's 'hell' or torture chamber. Statement 2 is correct as it aligns with this Divyavadana account. Statement 3 is incorrect because the Dipavamsa attributes the conversion to Nigrodha, not Samudra; the story of Samudra as a 12-year-old merchant's son is a variation found in the Ashokavadana/Divyavadana tradition rather than the Dipavamsa.