Statement I : There was great exodus of Jaina monks under the leadership of Bhadrabahu to the Deccan following severe famine in the Ganga Valley towards the end of Chandragupta's reign. Statement II : Chandragupta Maurya joined the Jaina order as a monk,

Statement I is true as Jain tradition records a severe twelve-year famine in the Ganga Valley (Magadha) toward the end of Chandragupta Maurya's reign [1]. This led to a major exodus of Jaina monks to the Deccan (Shravanabelagola) under the leadership of Bhadrabahu to maintain their strict discipline [1]. Statement II is also true; according to Jain literary and epigraphic traditions, Chandragupta Maurya abdicated his throne, joined the Jaina order as a monk-disciple of Bhadrabahu, and eventually practiced 'Sallekhana' (ritual fasting to death) at Chandragiri. However, Statement II is not the 'explanation' for Statement I. The exodus (Statement I) was caused by the famine, not by the king's personal conversion. While the king's conversion occurred during this period of migration, the primary driver for the monastic movement was the environmental crisis in the north [1].

Sources

1. [1] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 3: Rise of Territorial Kingdoms and New Religious Sects > Life of Mahavira > p. 39