Universal soul is one of the main Keystone of the philosophy and the thought of the Upanishad. Brahma satyam Jagat Mitya Jeevo Bramanah Parah talks about the impermenance of the body and its existence.
Ashoka was a patron of Buddhism therefore he used many symbols that are relevant in Buddhism as motifs in the Ashokan pillar. According to Buddhist tradition, Buddha entered his mother’s womb in the form of a white elephant.