Ashva

Ashva

Aśvaḥ (a Sanskrit word for a horse) is one of the significant animals finding references in several Hindu scriptures. The corresponding Avestan term is "aspa". The word is cognate to Latin "equus", Germanic *"ehwaz" and Baltic "*ašvā" all from PIE "*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 that Indra, one of the demigods of the Hindus, took away the the mythical horse to his celestial abode, the svarga (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 the Swat 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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