Sajan was a student of religion. After he read the , he decided to go on a spiritual quest. He did not like the idea of rule by , or rule by religious leaders. He knew, however, that during the rule of the Mauryans, Ashoka changed his life when he turned to . Seeking such a change for himself, Sajan became a religious traveler and visited many of the that Ashoka had set up, hoping that this would create good . Yet he sensed that he was not fulfilling his duty . Then, he heard about the concept of ahimsa. He was impressed and converted to . By following the idea of harming no living being and by practicing what he learned, he hoped he would reach .