History of the Pallavas of Kanchi c9.14

c9.14

After all these rectifications that we have just made the expedition of Samudragupta presents itself before our eyes in quite another form. It is no more a new Alexander marching victoriously through South India; it was simply the unfortunate attempt of a king from the north who wanted to annex the coast of Orissa but completely failed. About A.D. 340, Samudragupta left his capital Pāṭaliputra and marched directly towards the south. First he conquered Southern Kosala where the king Mahēndra was reigning in the vicinity of Sirpur and Sambalpur. He then crossed the forests that are to the south of Sonpur and found there the small kingdom of Mahākāntāra which means the " great forest " and where