Consider the following statements:; I. According to Mahavamsa, Ashoka turned to the Buddha’s dhamma when his nephew Nigrodha preached the doctrine to him.; II. Divyavadana ascribes Ashoka being drawn to the Buddha’s teaching to the influence of Samudra, a merchant-turned monk.; III. Dipavamsa speaks of Samudra, the 12 year old son of a merchant, as the key figure in Ashoka’s coming under the influence of Buddhist dhamma.