The Agni Purana
by N. Gangadharan | 1954 | 360,691 words | ISBN-10: 8120803590 | ISBN-13: 9788120803596
This page describes Propitiatory rites for curing the ailments of horses (ashva-shanti) which is chapter 290 of the English translation of the Agni Purana, one of the eighteen major puranas dealing with all topics concerning ancient Indian culture, tradition and sciences. Containing roughly 15,000 Sanskrit metrical verses, subjects contained in the Agni-Purana include cosmology, philosophy, architecture, iconography, economics, diplomacy, pilgrimage guides, ancient geography, gemology, ayurveda, etc.
Chapter 290 - Propitiatory rites for curing the ailments of horses (aśva-śānti)
[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]
Śālihotra said:
1. O Suśruta! Listen to me. I shall describe the three kinds of propitiatory rites for the horses [i.e., aśva-śānti]—the daily, the periodical and optional (rites) that would cure the diseases of the horses.
2. After having worshipped Śrīdhara (a form of Viṣṇu), Śrī (consort of Viṣṇu) and Uccaiḥśravas, the chief among the horses, on an auspicious day, one should offer ghee as oblation with (the recitation of the formula) Sāvitra (Gāyatrī).
3-6a. Then fees should be paid to the brahmins. Then the horses would increase. The propitiatory rite (should be done) on the fifteenth (lunar) day of the bright fortnight in the (month of) aśvayuk (October-November). It should especially be done outside (the stable). (Lord) Varuṇa (water-god) should be worshipped. (A mystic) diagram should be drawn and (the image of) the goddess (placed at the centre) should be surrounded by branches (of trees). Pitchers filled with all flavours and covered by cloth should be placed at the cardinal points. After offering oblations of barley and clarified butter, the horses and the Aśvin gods[1] should be worshipped. Fees should be paid to the brahmins. Listen to me! (I shall now describe) the periodical (rites).
6b-8. One should worship (Lord) Viṣṇu, (goddess) Śrī (Lakṣmī), (Lord) Brahmā, (Lord) Śaṅkara, (Lord) Soma (Moon), (Lord) Āditya (Sun), the Aśvin gods, Revanta and Uccaiḥśravas (the horse of Indra) in the (constellations) Capricorn etc. for the horses with lotuses. The guardian deities of the cardinal points (should be worshipped) on the petals. Pitchers (should be dedicated) for each one of the (above) deities (and worshipped) on the altar at the auspicious place. After having fasted, oblations of sesamum, unbroken rice, clarified butter and white mustard should be made a hundred times for everyone of the gods. This act would ward off the diseases of the horses.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
a pair of celestial gods believed to have been born to Sun through a nymph in the form of a mare.