In the Buddhist Mahavanso, Chandagatto, or Chandragupta, Asoka's
grandfather, is called a prince of the Moryan dynasty as he certainly
was--or rather as they were, for there were several Chandraguptas. This
dynasty, as said in the same book, began with certain Kshatriyas
(warriors) of the Sakya line closely related to Gautama Buddha, who
crossing the Himavanto (Himalayas) "discovered a delightful location,
well watered, and situated in the midst of a forest of lofty bo and
other trees. There they founded a town, which was called by its Sakya
lords, Morya-Nagara." Prof. Max Muller would see in this legend a
made-up story for two reasons: (1) A desire on the part of Buddhists to
connect their king Asoka, "the beloved of gods," with Buddha, and thus
nullify the slanders set up by the Brahmanical opponents of Buddhism to
the effect that Asoka and Chandragupta were Sudras; and (2) because this
document does not dovetail with his own theories and chronology based on
the fanciful stories of the Greek-Megasthenes and others. It was not
the princes of Morya-Nagara who received their name from the Rajput
tribe of Mori, but the latter that became so well known as being
composed of the descendants of the Moryan sovereign of Morya-Nagara.
Some light is thrown on the subsequent destiny of that dynasty in
"Replies to an English F.T.S." (See ante.) The name of Rishi Koothoomi
is mentioned in more than one Purana, and his Code is among the eighteen
Codes written by various Rishis, and preserved at Calcutta in the
library of the Asiatic Society. But we have not been told whether there
is any connection between our Mahatma of that name and the Rishi, and we
do not feel justified in speculating upon the subject. All we know is,
that both are Northern Brahmans, while the Moryas are Kshatriyas. If
any of our Brothers know more, or can discover anything relating to the
subject in the Sacred Books, we shall hear of it with pleasure. The
words: "The Moryas will possess the earth, for Kautilya will place
Chandragupta on the throne," have in our occult philosophy a dual
meaning. In one sense they relate to the days of early Buddhism, when a
Chandragupta (Morya) was the king "of all the earth," i.e., of Brahmans,
who believed themselves the highest and only representatives of humanity
for whom earth was evolved. The second meaning is purely esoteric.
Every adept or genuine Mahatma is said to "possess the earth," by the
power of his occult knowledge. Hence, a series of ten Moryas, all
initiated adepts, would be regarded by the occultists, and referred to
as "possessing all the earth," or all its knowledge. The names of
"Chandragupta" and "Kautilya" have also an esoteric significance. Let
our Brother ponder over their Sanskrit meaning, and he will perhaps see
what bearing the phrase--"for Kautilya will place Chandragupta upon the
throne"--has upon the Moryas possessing the earth. We would also remind
our Brother that the word Itihasa, ordinarily translated as "history,"
is defined by Sanskrit authorities to be the narrative of the lives of
some August personages, conveying at the same time meanings of the
highest moral and occult importance.