The History and Culture of the Indian People v1.c19.s3.t2.35

v1.c19.s3.t2.35

The Gandhāris, referred to in the *Ṛigveda*, are mentioned also in the *Atharvaveda* (as already stated) and in the Śrauta Sūtras. They appear apparently as a despised people in the *Atharvaveda*. In later times, however, the angle of vision of the people of the Madhyadeśa changed, and Gandhāra became the famous resort of scholars for instruction in the Vedas and Vidyās. The *Aitareya Brāhmaṇa* (VII. 34) mentions Nagnajit, a king of Gandhāra, among Vedic teachers who propagated the Soma cult, which shows that Gandhāra was not excluded from Vedic Aryans. From the various references to Gandhāra in Indian literature it appears that the boundaries of the country varied at different periods in its history.