attests that Macedonian forces captured about 40,000, and that over 23,000 of which Alexander picked out the finest and sent them into Macedonia. Scholars like Dr V. S. Agarwala have equated the Arigaeum or Arigaion of Arrian to Sanskrit name Arjunava which finds mention in Pāṇini's Ganapatha as well as in the Kasika. If this interpretation of scholars like Dr V. S. Agarwala is correct and the "Arjunava" of the Kashika or Pāṇini's Ganapatha is indeed the "Arigaeum/Arigaion" of Arrian, then the probable origin of the Arjunayanas can possibly be speculated. The section of Aspasian people inhabiting the city of Arigaion (Arjunava) were probably known as Arjunavanas, Arjunavayanas or Arjunayanas (from Arjunava). Indian sources A variant of Sanskrit Arjunayana is attested as Arjunayanaka. Kautiliya's Arthashastra (c. 200 BCE to 300 CE) mentions and brackets a nation called Prajjunaka with Gandhara and refers to their buffoons, Artisans and professional singers and actors. Since Gandhara was a great ancient cultural center, therefore, the Prajjunakas who are bracketed with the Gandharas and are attested to have Gandhara-like cultural characteristics, must also have laid close to Gandhara. The Prajjunakas of Arthashastra have been supposed by some scholars to be a variant of Sanskrit Arjunayanakas (Arjunayana). If this be correct, then the 4th-century BCE text on statecraft also attests the Arjunayanas (Arjunavanas) as close neighbors of the Gandharas which fact possibly alludes to the inhabitants of Arigaion (Arjunava) of the Swat/Kunar valleys. Dispersal and migration of the Arigaionians It is conceivable to infer that after suffering serious defeat at the hands of Alexander's Macedonian forces in 326 BCE, a section from the Arigaionians had left their old habitat between Swat and Kunar valleys, crossed the Punjab rivers and moved to Punjab and beyond to avoid further persecution by Alexander. 3rd century Buddhist tantra text Mahamayuri attests one place name Arjunavana which is presided over by Yaksha Arjuna. The same text also says that Duryodhana was the tutelary Yaksha of Srughana (modern Sugh in Yamunanagar). On the basis of the Mahamayuri, it has been speculated that the place name Arjunavana of the Buddhist text may have been somewhere near to Srughana (Yamunanagar in Haryana). It has been located somewhere within the triangle formed by Delhi-Jaipur and Agra regions. It is possible that the splinter group from the Arigaion (Arjunava) had moved to and settled in south-east Punjab and Rajasthan under pressure from Alexander and they probably