THERE IS A LOT OF CONTROVERSY WITH REGARD TO THE ANCESTRY OF CHANDRAGUPTA MAURYA . THE MUDRARAKSHAS DESCRIBED CHANDRAGUPTA AS MAURYANPUTRA AND NANDAVAYA . KSHEMENDRA AND SAMADEVA REFER TO HIM AS PURVANANDASUTA SON OF GENUINE NANDA , AS OPPOSED TO YOGA-NANDA . A COMMENTOR OF THE VISHNU PURANA STATES THAT CHANDRAGUPTA WAS THE SON NANDA BY A WIFE NAME MURA , DHUNDIRAJA A COMMENTOR OF 18TH CENTURY ON MUDRARAKSHAS , STATES THAT MURA WAS THE DAUGHTER OF A SUDRA .

THE USE OF THE TERMS ‘ VIRSHALA ’ AND  ‘ KULA-HINA ’  BY MUDRARAKSHAS ABOUT CHANDRAGUPTA HA BEEN INTERPRETED BY SCHOLARS AS POINTING OUT THE BASE ORIGIN OF CHANDRAGUPTA . HOWEVER IT IS POINTED OUT THAT THE TERM ‘VIRSHALA’ ALWAYAS DOESN'T MEANS SUDRA . THE TERM ‘VIRSHALA’ HAS BEEN USED IN THE DRAMA AS MEANING “ ONE WHO IS VIRSHA AMONG THE KINGS , THE BEST AMONG THE KINGS ". IT IS USED IN TERMS OF HONOUR NOT IN ODIUM.

THE TERM ‘ KULAHINA’ ALSO MEANS INFERIOR LINEAGE AGAINST ROYAL LINEAGE . IT ONLY SUPPORTS THE CONTENTION OF JUSTIN THAT CHANDRAGUPTA WAS BORN IN THE HUMBLE FAMILY . THE NANDAS ARE ALSO DESCRIBED IN THE DRAMA AS OF AN ILLUSTRIOUS LINEAGE .

THE MAHAVAMSHATIKA CONNECTS THE MAURYAS WITH SAKYAS WHO BELONG TO THE SOLAR RACE OF THE KSHATRYAS . MEDIEVAL INSCRIPTIONS ALSO REFER TO MAURYAS AS BELONGING TO THE SOLAR RACE .IT IS STATED THAT THE MAURYAS LINE SPRANG FROM MANDHATRI , A PRINCE OF THE SOLAR RACE . IN THE RAJPUTANA GAZETTEER ,  THE MORIS ARE DESCRIBED AS A RAJPUT CLAN .

JAIN TRADITION DESCRIBES NANDA AS THE SON OF A BARBER BY A COURTESAN . IT IS ALSO DESCRIBED CHANDRAGUPTA AS THE SON OF A DAUGHTER OF THE CHEIF OF  VILLAGE OF PEACOCK-TAMERS . THERE IS MONUMENTAL EVIDENCE PROVIDING THE CONNECTION OF MAURYAS WITH THE PEACOCK .THE PILLAR OF ASOKA IN NANDANGARH BEARS ON THE BOTTOM THE FIGURE OF A PEACOCK WHICH IS REPEATED IN MANY SCLUPTURES OF ASOKA AT SANCHI . 

ACCORDING TO THE TURNOUR , BUDDHIST TRADITION ALSO TESTIFIES TO THE CONNECTON BETWEEN THE CONNECTION MORIYA AND MORA OR MAYURA OR PEACOCK . WE ARE TOLD THAT TAMED PEACOCKS WERE KEPT IN THE PARKS OF THE MAURYAS PALACE OF PATLIPUTRA .

IN THE MAHAVAMSA , CHANDRAGUPTA IS MENTIONED AS A SCION AT THE KHATTIYA CLAN KNOWN , AS MORIYA . IN THE DIVYAVANDNA , BINDUSARA THE SON OF CHANDRAGUPTA IS DESCRIBED AS KSHATRIYA MURDABHISHIKTA OR ANOINTED KSHATRIYA , WHO RULED PIPPALIVANA . AS THE BOOK IS THE MOST ANCIENT OF ALL THE OTHER BOOKS REFER TO ABOVE , ITS AUTHORITY MUST BE PREFERRED TO THAT OF OTHERS .