Vedic Index of Names and Subjects v1.c3.710

v1.c3.710

Aśva is the commonest word for ‘horse’ in the Vedic literature. The horse is also called ‘the runner’ (atya), ‘the swift’ (arvant), ‘the strong,’ for pulling (vājin), ‘the runner’ (sapti), and ‘the speeding’ (haya). The mare is termed aśvā, atyā, arvatī, vaḍavā, etc. Horses of various colour were known, dun (harita, hari), ruddy (aruṇa, aruṣa, piśaṅga, rohita), dark brown (śyāva), white (śveta). A white horse with black ears is mentioned in the Atharvaveda as of special value.¹ Horses were highly prized,² and were not rare, as Roth³ thought, for as many as four hundred mares are mentioned in one Dānastuti (‘Praise of Gifts’).⁴ They were on occasion ornamented with pearls and gold.⁵