न त्यजेत् पश्चिमं पादं यदा साधुर्भवेत्तदा । तदाकृष्टिर्व्विधातव्या पाणिभ्यामिह वल्गया ।। २८८.
One should not let go of the hind foot; when the horse becomes obedient, then the drawing of the reins should be performed with the hands.
तत्र त्रिको यथा तिष्ठेदुद्ग्रीवोश्वः समाननः । धरायां पश्चिमौ पादौ अन्तरीशे यदाश्रयौ ।। २८८.
There, as the triangle stands, the horse with raised neck and equal face, when the hind feet rest upon the ground and the inner ones are supported.
तदा सन्धारणं कुर्य्याद्गाठवाहञ्च मुष्टिना । सहसैवं समाकृष्टो यस्तुरङ्गो न तिष्ठति ।। २८८.
Then one should maintain the position, and hold the strong horse with the fist; if the horse is suddenly drawn in this way and does not stand still.
शरीरं विक्षिपन्तञ्च साधयेन्मण्डलभ्रमैः । क्षिपेत् स्कन्धञ्च यो वाहं स च स्थाप्यो हि वल्गया ।। २८८.
One should train the horse that tosses its body by circling movements; and if it throws its shoulder, it should be steadied with the reins.
गोमयं लवणं मूत्रं क्कथितं मृत्समन्वितम् । अङ्गलेपो मक्षिकादिदंशश्रमविनाशनः ।। २८८.
Cow dung, salt, urine, and clay mixed together: this ointment for the limbs destroys fatigue from bites of flies and others.
मध्ये भद्रादिजातीनां मण्डो देयो हि सादिना । दर्शनं भोततीक्षस्य निरुत्साहः क्षुधा हयः ।। २८८.
In the midst of horses of the Bhadrā and other breeds, a gruel should be given with food; a horse lacking appetite and enthusiasm is seen to be hungry.
यथा वश्यस्तथा शिक्षा विनश्यन्त्यतिवाहिताः । अवाहिता न सिध्यन्ति तुङ्गवक्त्रांश्च वाहयेत् ।। २८८.
Training should be according to the horse’s disposition; those excessively driven perish, while those not driven do not succeed; one should drive horses with high-set jaws.
सम्पीड्य जानुयुग्मेन स्थिरमुष्टिस्तुरङ्गमं । गोमूत्राकुटिला वेणई पद्ममण्डलमालिका ।। २८८.
Pressing with both knees, with a firm fist, the horse is controlled; cow urine, twisted rope, and a garland in the shape of a lotus circle.
संक्षिप्तञ्चैव विक्षिप्तं कुञ्चितञ्च यथाचितम् ।। २८८.
Contracted, extended, bent, and arranged as desired.
वल्गितावल्गितौ चैव षोढा चेत्थमुदाहृतम् । विथीधनुःशतं यावदशीतिर्न्नवतिस्तथा ।। २८८.
Leaping and counter-leaping, these six are thus described; as many as a hundred bows in a street, eighty, and ninety likewise.
भद्रः सुसाध्यो वाजी स्यान्मन्दो दण्डैकमानसः । मृगजङ्घो मृगो वाजी सङ्कीर्णस्तत्समन्वयात् ।। २८८.
A Bhadrā horse is easily trained; a slow one is of single mind; a deer-legged horse is a deer-horse, and a mixed one is so by combination.
शर्क्करामधुलाजादः सुगन्धोऽस्व शुचिर्द्विजः । तेजस्वी क्षत्रियश्चाश्वो विनीतो बुद्धिमांश्च यः ।। २८८.
A horse born from sugar, honey, and barley is fragrant, pure, and of the Brahmin class; a spirited horse is of the Kshatriya class, disciplined and intelligent.
शूद्रोऽशुचिश्चलो मन्दो विरूपो विमतिः खलः । वल्गया धार्य्यमाणोऽश्वो लालकं यश्च दर्शयेत् ।। २८८.
A Shudra horse is impure, restless, slow, deformed, foolish, and wicked; a horse held by the bridle shows drooling.
धारासु योजनीयोऽसौ प्रग्रहग्रहमोक्षणैः । अश्वादिलक्षणं वक्ष्ये शालिहोत्रो यथावदत् ।। २८८.
He should be yoked in harnesses, with control and release; I will describe the characteristics of horses as stated by Shalihotra.
शालिहोत्र उवाच अश्वानां लक्षणं वक्ष्ये चिकित्साञ्चैव सुश्रुत् । हीनदन्तो विदन्तश्च कराली कृष्णतालुकः ।। २८९.
Shalihotra said: I will describe the characteristics and treatment of horses, O learned one; a horse with deficient teeth, prominent teeth, fierce, and black-palated.
कृष्णजिह्वश्च यमजो जातमुष्कश्च यस्तथा । द्विशफश्च तथा श्रृङ्गी त्रिवर्णो व्याघ्रवर्णकः ।। २८९.
A horse with a black tongue, born of Yama, with descended testicles, cloven hooves, horned, three-colored, and tiger-colored.
शरवर्णो भस्मवर्णो जातवर्णश्च काकुदी । श्वित्री च काकसादी च खरसारस्तथैव च ।। २८९.
Arrow-colored, ash-colored, born-colored, hump-backed, vitiligo, crow-headed, and rough-bodied likewise.
वानराक्षः कृष्णशटः कृष्णगुह्यस्तथैव च । कृष्णप्रोथश्च यश्च तित्तिरिसन्निभः ।। २८९.
Monkey-faced, black-maned, black-genital, black-chinned, and resembling a partridge.
विषमः श्वेतपादश्च ध्रुवावर्त्तविवर्जितः । अशुभावर्त्तसंयुक्तो वर्जनीयस्तुरङ्गमः ।। २८९.
Uneven, white-footed, lacking fixed whorls, and possessing inauspicious whorls: such a horse should be avoided.
रन्ध्रोपरन्ध्रयोर्द्वौ द्वौ द्वौ द्वौ मस्तकवक्षसोः । प्रयाणो च ललाटे च कण्ठावर्त्ताः शुभा दश ।। २८९.
Two whorls each at the nostrils, head, and chest; whorls at the forehead and throat: ten auspicious whorls.
सृक्कण्याञ्च ललाटे च कर्णमूले निगालके । बाहुमूले गले श्रेष्ठा आवर्त्तास्त्वशुभाः परे ।। २८९.
Whorls at the hips, forehead, base of the ears, base of the arms, and neck are best; other whorls are inauspicious.
शुकेन्द्रगोपचन्द्राभा ये च वायससन्निभाः । सुवर्णवर्णाः स्निग्धाश्च प्रशस्यास्तु सदैव हि ।। २८९.
Those resembling the color of the moon, indragopa insect, and chandra, and those like a crow; golden-colored and glossy are always praised.
दीर्घग्रीवाक्षिकूटाश्च ह्रस्वकर्णाश्च शोभनाः । राज्ञान्तुरङ्गमा यत्र विजयं वर्जयेत्ततः ।। २८९.
Where horses have long necks and prominent eye sockets, and beautiful but short ears, the king should avoid sending his cavalry there, for victory will not be attained.
पालितस्तु हयो दन्तो शुभदो दुःखदोऽन्यथा । क्षियः पुत्रास्तु गन्धर्व्वा वाजिनो रत्नमुत्तमम् ।। २८९.
A well-trained and obedient horse brings good fortune, but otherwise brings suffering; sons are like Gandharvas, horses are the highest treasure.
अश्वमेधे तु तुरगः पवित्रत्वात्तु हूयते । वृषो निम्बवृहत्यौ च गुडूची च समाक्षिका ।। २८९.
In the Aśvamedha sacrifice, the horse is offered for its purity, along with a bull, nimba, vṛhatī, guḍūcī, and honey.
सिंहा गन्धकरी पिण्डी स्वेदश्च शिरसस्तथा । हिङ्गु पुष्करमूलञ्च नागरं साम्लवेतसं ।। २८९.
Lion, gandhakarī, piṇḍī, sweat from the head, asafoetida, puṣkaramūla, and dried ginger with sour vetasa are also included.
पिप्पलीसैन्धवयुतं शूलघ्नं चोष्णवारिणा । नागरातिविषा मुस्ता सानन्ता विल्वमालिका ।। २८९.
Pippalī and rock salt, a remedy for colic, with warm water; dried ginger, ativiṣā, mustā, sānantā, bael, and mālikā are to be used.
क्काथमेषां पिवेद्वाजी सर्व्वातीसारनाशनम् । प्रियङ्गुसारिवाभ्याञ्च युक्तमाजं श्रृतं पयः ।। २८९.
How should these be taken by the horse? They destroy all types of diarrhea. With priyangu and sārivā, mix goat's milk and cook it together.
पर्य्याप्तशर्करं पीत्वा श्रमाद्वाजी विमुच्यते । द्रोणिकायान्तु दातव्या तैलवस्तिस्तुरङ्गमे ।। २८९.
After drinking enough sugar, the horse is relieved from fatigue. Oil and fat should be given to the horse in a trough.
कोष्ठजा च शिरा वेध्या तेन तस्य सुखं भवेत् । दाड़िमं त्रिफला व्योषं गुड़ञ्च समभाविकम् ।। २८९.
A vein in the abdomen should be punctured, which brings relief. Pomegranate, triphalā, vyosha, and gur should be given in equal measure.