Due to the death of his birth mother, Padmavati, within a few months of his birth, he was raised by Ashoka's chief queen consort Asandhimitra, who loved him like her own son.
Karena kematian ibu kandungnya, Padmavati, dalam beberapa bulan setelah kelahirannya, ia dibesarkan oleh permaisuri utama Ashoka Asandhimitra, yang mencintainya seperti putranya sendiri.