Agni Purana

तीब्रैर्न्न च परैर्द्दण्डैरदेशे न च ताडयेत् । कीलास्थिसंकुले चैव विषमे कण्टकान्विते ।। २८८.

One should not strike with harsh or excessive blows, nor beat in unsuitable places; nor in areas crowded with stakes and bones, or rough and thorny terrain.

वालुकापङ्कसंच्छन्ने गर्त्तागर्त्तप्रदूषिते । अचित्तज्ञो विनोपायैर्वाहनं कुरुते तु यः ।। २८८.

Where sand or mud covers the ground, or pits and holes pollute the path, whoever drives without care or proper means is ignorant.

स वाह्यते हयेनैव पृष्ठस्थः कटिकां विना । छन्दं विज्ञापयेत् कोपि सुकृती धीमतां वरः ।। २८८.

He who rides a horse without a girth, seated on its back, should inform the horse of his intention; a virtuous and wise person does so.

अब्यासादबियोगाच्च विनाशास्त्रं स्ववाहकः । स्नातस्य प्राङ्मुखस्याथ देवान् वपुषि योजयेत् ।। २८८.

Due to lack of practice or separation, the horse forgets its training; after bathing and facing east, one should dedicate the horse to the gods.

प्रणवादिनमोन्तेन स्ववीजेन यथाक्रमम् । ब्रह्मा चित्ते वले विष्णुर्वैनतेयः पराक्रमे ।। २८८.

With the recitation of the Praṇava at the end, and with one's own mantra in proper order: Brahmā in the mind, Viṣṇu in strength, and Garuḍa in valor.

पार्श्वे रुद्रा गुरुर्बुद्धौ विश्वेदेवाश्च मर्मसु । दृगावर्त्ते दृशीन्द्वर्कौ कर्णयोरश्विनौ तथा ।। २८८.

On the sides, Rudras; the teacher in intellect; Viśvedevas in the vital points; in the eyes, the Sun and Moon; in the ears, the Aśvins.

जठरेऽग्निः स्वधा स्वेदे वाग्जिह्वायां जवेऽनिलः । पृष्ठतो नाकपृष्ठस्तु खुराग्रे सर्वपर्वता ।। २८८.

In the belly, Agni; Svadhā in sweat; Vāk in the tongue; Anila in speed; behind, the sky's ridge; at the tips of the hooves, all mountains.

ताराश्च रोमकूपेषु हृदि चान्द्रमसी कला । तेजस्यग्नीरतिः श्रोण्यां ललाटे च जगत्पतिः ।। २८८.

Stars dwell in the pores of the skin; the lunar ray in the heart; Agni's delight in the hips; and the Lord of the world on the forehead.

ग्रहाश्च हेषिते चैव तथैवोरसि वासुकिः । उपोषितोऽर्च्चयेत् सादी हयं दक्षश्रुतौ जपेत् ।। २८८.

Planets are present in the neighing, and likewise Vāsuki on the chest; after fasting, one should worship the horse, and recite Dakṣa's hymn in its ears.

हय गन्धर्वराजस्त्वं श्रृणुष्व वचनं मम । गन्धर्वकुलकजातस्त्वं माभूस्त्वं कुलदूषकः ।। २८८.

Horse, you are king of the Gandharvas; listen to my words. Born in the Gandharva lineage, do not become a disgrace to your clan.

द्विजानां सत्यवाक्येन सोमस्य गरुडस्य च । रुद्रस्य वरुणस्यैव पवनस्य बलेन च ।। २८८.

By the truth of the words of the twice-born, and by the strength of Soma, Garuḍa, Rudra, Varuṇa, and the wind,

हुताशनस्य दीप्त्या च स्मर जाति तुरङ्गम । स्मर राजेन्द्रपुत्रस्त्वं सत्यवाक्यमनुस्मर ।। २८८.

And by the brilliance of Agni, remember your origin, O horse. Remember you are the son of a king; recall the truth of your lineage.

समर त्वं वारुणीं कन्यां स्मर त्वं कौस्तुभं मणिं । क्षीरोदसागरे चैव मथ्यमाने सुरासुरैः ।। २८८.

Remember the daughter of Varuṇa; remember the Kaustubha jewel, which emerged from the ocean of milk when the gods and demons churned it.

तत्र देवकुले जातः स्ववाक्यं परिपालय । कुले जातस्त्वमश्वानां मित्रं मे भव शाश्वतम् ।। २८८.

Born in the house of the gods, uphold your own word; born in the horse lineage, be my eternal friend.

श्रृणु मित्र त्वमेतच्च सिद्धो मे भव वाहन । विजयं रक्ष माञ्चैव समरे सिद्धिमावह ।। २८८.

Listen, friend, to this as well: become my accomplished mount; protect my victory, bring me success in battle.

तव पृष्ठं समारुह्य हता दैत्याः सुरैः पुरा । अधुना त्वां समारुह्य जेष्यामि रिपुवाहिनीं ।। २८८.

Mounted on your back, the gods once slew the demons; now, mounting you, I shall defeat the enemy host.

पर्य्यानयेद्धयं सादी वाहयेद् युद्धतो जयः ।। २८८.

One should turn the horse around, and victory is achieved by riding it in battle.

सञ्जाताः स्वशरीरेण दोषाः प्रायेण वाजिनां । हन्यन्तेऽतिप्रयत्नेन गुणाः सादिवरैः पुनः।। २८८.

Faults that arise naturally in the body of horses are generally eliminated with great effort; but virtues, even those present from birth, are lost again through neglect.

सहजा इव दृश्यन्ते गुणाः सादिवरोद्भवाः । नाशयन्ति गुणानन्ये सादिनः सहजानपि ।। २८८.

Virtues that arise from training appear as if innate; other, untrained horses can destroy even inborn virtues.

गुणानेको विजानाति वेत्ति दोषांस्तथाऽपरः । धन्यो धीमान् हयं वेत्ति नोभयं वेत्ति मन्दधीः ।। २८८.

One person knows the virtues, another knows the faults; the wise and fortunate know the horse, but the dull-minded know neither.

अकर्म्मज्ञोऽनुपायज्ञो वेगासक्तोऽतिकोपनः । घनदण्डरतिच्छिद्रे यः समोपि न व्शस्यते ।। २८८.

He who is ignorant of tasks, unaware of methods, obsessed with speed, excessively irritable, and delights in harsh punishment—even if he is equal, he is not to be praised.

उपायज्ञोऽथ चित्तज्ञो विशुद्धो दोपनाशनः । गुणार्ज्जनपरो नित्यं सर्व्वकर्म्मविशारदः ।। २८८.

But one who knows the methods, understands the mind, is pure, destroys faults, is always intent on acquiring virtues, and skilled in all tasks—

प्रग्रहेण गृहीत्वाऽथ चित्तज्ञो विशुद्धो दोषनाशनः । गुणार्ज्जनपरो नित्यं सर्व्वकर्म्मविशारदः ।। २८८.

Having restrained the horse, understanding its mind, pure, a remover of faults, always intent on acquiring virtues, and skilled in all tasks—

आरुह्य सहसा नैव ताड़नीयो हयोत्तमः । ताड़नाद् भयमाप्नोति भयान्मोहश्च जायते ।। २८८.

A superior horse should not be made to leap suddenly; from such leaping, fear arises, and from fear, confusion is born.

प्रातः सादी प्लुतेनैव वल्गामुद्धृत्य चालयेत् । मन्दं मन्दं विना नालं धृतवल्गो दिनान्तरे ।। २८८.

In the morning, the horse should be exercised by making it leap, lifting the bridle; on another day, with a steady bridle, it should be moved slowly, never without the rein.

प्रोक्तमाश्वसनं सामभेदोऽश्वेन नियोज्यते । कषादिताड़नं दण्डो दानं कालसहिष्णुता ।। २८८.

The methods of horse-training have been described: persuasion, division, use of the whip, punishment, reward, and patience with time.

पूर्व्वपूर्व्वविशुद्धौ तु विदध्यादुत्तरोत्तरम् । जिह्वातले विनायोगं विदध्याद्वाहने हये ।। २८८.

With each prior purification, one should proceed to the next; if the tongue is not engaged, one should apply the method to the horse's training.

गुणेतरशतां वल्गां सृक्कण्या सह गाहयेत् । विस्मार्य्य वाहनं कुर्य्याच्छिथिलानां शनैः शनैः ।। २८८.

One should make the horse circle a hundred times with the bridle and the bit; for those that are slack, the training should be done gradually and gently.

हयं जिह्वाङ्गमाहीने जिह्वाग्रन्थिं विमोचयेत् । गाटतां मोचयेत्तावद्यावत् स्तोभं न मुञ्चति ।। २८८.

For a horse lacking tongue movement, the knot at the tip of the tongue should be loosened; the tightness should be released until it no longer resists.