- Ashva
Aśvaḥ (a
Sanskrit word for ahorse ) is one of the significant animals finding references in severalHindu scriptures . The corresponding Avestan term is "aspa". The word is cognate to Latin "equus", Germanic *"ehwaz " and Baltic "*ašvā" all fromPIE "*hek'wos".Mythology
The legend states that the first horse emerged from the depth of the ocean during the churning of the oceans. It was a horse with white color and had two wings. It was known by the name of
Uchchaihshravas . The legend continues thatIndra , one of the demigods of theHindu s, took away the the mythical horse to his celestial abode, thesvarga (heaven). Subsequently, Indra severed the wings of the horse and presented the same to the mankind. The wings were severed to ensure that the horse would remain on the earth (prithvi ) and not fly back to Indra’s suvarga.History
There are repeated references to the horse the
Rig Veda (ca. 1500 BC). The earliest undisputed finds of horse remains in South Asia are from theSwat culture (from ca. 1600 BC), but there are claims of earlier finds, dating to the 3rd millennium BC.References
*"Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend" (ISBN 0-500-51088-1) by Anna Dallapiccola
ee also
*
Ashvamedha
*Ashvins
*Ratha
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