Political History of Ancient India, from the Accession of Parikshit to the Extinction of the Gupta Dynasty c12.s5.9

c12.s5.9

The preliminaries to the struggle between Magadha and Vaiśālī are described in several Pāli texts.¹ In the *Mahāvagga* it is related that Sunīd(t)ha and Vassakāra, two ministers of Magadha, were building a fort at Pāṭaligrāma in order to repel the Vajjis (Vrijis). The *Mahāparinibbāna Suttanta* says: "The Blessed One was once dwelling in Rājagaha on the hill called the Vulture's Peak. Now at that time Ajātasattu Vedehiputta, the king of Magadha, was desirous of attacking the Vajjians; and he said to himself, 'I will root out these Vajjians, mighty and powerful though they be, I will destroy these Vajjians, I will bring these Vajjians to utter ruin'".