War in Ancient India c7.s1.t4.64

c7.s1.t4.64

How important the science of horses was to the ancient Indians is best seen from the Lakṣaṇaprakāśa which quotes from several important old authorities some of which are probably lost to us. Among them are the Aśvāyurveda and Aśvaśāstra, the former attributed to Jayadeva and the latter to Nakula. As the traditional origin of the elephants is bound up with the name of the sage Sāmagāyana, so also the legendary account of the origin of horses is connected with another sage, Śālihotra. There is a treatise on horses entitled Śālihotram. It refers to the four castes of horses and numerous mixed horses.81 Another treatise on horses is Aśvacikitsita by Nakula. In the Śukranītisāra82 we get an elaborate list of the characteristics of a noble horse and of the various auspicious and inauspicious marks83 on horses. The colour of the horse⁸⁴ and its gait are also commented upon. Rules are given for the proper care of horses.