Fauna (5): Domesticated Animals (b): Horse (Aśva)

Pakṣiṇaḥ (III. 3. 107; p. 295)–

[Birds and horses:]

Amarakośa mentions that the horses and the birds are denoted as pakṣiṇaḥ^[1]. Kṣīrasvāmin elaborates that in earlier days the horses also were with wings and hence the term.

The modern evolution theory also remarks that all the animals existed with wings in the days of yore and later shed their wings–

vājāḥ pakṣāḥ santyasya vājī |
āśvāḥ pūrvaṃ sapakṣā ābhavan |

Gati (II. 8. 49-50; p. 186)^[2]

[Gaits of a horse:]

Amarakośa names the five paces^[3] of a horse as āskanditam, dhauritakam, recitam valgitam and plutam. Kṣīrasvāmin explains only three of them namelyāskandana as the fastest pace of the horse probably referring to the gallop and gives utterita as its equivalent. dhauritakam is dhoraṇa which is expalined as the charming gait probably the trot or medium phase and lastly he mentions uttejita as synonymous to recita.

The other two could be the other movements of leaping, scaling heights etc part of the dressage that one witnesses today during the parade in National festivals.

āśvānāṃ dhārākhyā imāḥ pañca gatayaḥ dhāryate gatau sthapyate'nayā dhārā bhidāditvātsādhuḥ ṣidbhidādibhyoṅ (Pā. III. 3.104) |
āskandanamāskanditaṃ utteritākhyo'tivegaḥ |
dhoraṇaṃ dhoritaṃ dhorṛ gaticāturye |
recitamuttejitākhyam |

Further he states that the order given by Amarakośa is different from the general order mentioned in an unknown source–

kramastvanyathā yadāhuḥ—
dhoritaṃ valgitaṃ dhārā plutamuttejitaṃ kramāt |
utteritaṃ ceti pañcaśikṣayetturagaṃ gatam ||

The difference in the order is given below.

Amarakośa	unknown source
āskanditam	dhoritam
dhauritam	valgitam
recitam	plutam
valgitam	uttejitam / recitam
plutam	utteritam / āskanditam

Here it can be observed that dhauritam and dhoritam are variant readings. As mentioned by Kṣīrasvāmin āskanditam and utteritam might be synonymous so also are uttejita and recita. The text also mentions that the horses have to be trained in all these five paces.

The various paces of a horse as explained from the unknown source quoted by Kṣīrasvāmin are as follows-

1. Dhoritam is mere walk which may be a trot of the horse.

2. Valgitam is to spring/ leap a distance of a yojana.

3. Plutam is extending the anterior body with face down and the three bends of the various parts of the body caused by leaping;

4. Uttejitam is the movement of the horse in a medium speed;

5. Utteritam is said to be the fastest pace where it is said that one does not see or hear, the velocity of speed:

dhoritaṃ gatimātre yadyojanaṃ valgitaṃ puraḥ |
āgrakāyasamullāsāt kuñcitāsyaṃ natatrikam ||
purvāparonnamanataḥ kramādāropaṇaṃ plutam |
uttejitaṃ madhyavegaṃ yojanaṃ ślathavalgayā ||
utteriteti vegāndho na śṛṇoti na paśyati ||

In this context it is interesting to read the different explanations given by Vivṛti and Pārijāta commentators.^[4]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

vājino'śveṣu -pakṣiṇaḥ |

[2]:

āskanditaṃ dhauritakaṃ recitaṃ valgitaṃ plutam gatayo'mūḥ pañca dhārā |

[3]:

Similarly, ' The New Encyclopedia' of Funk and Whales (INC, New York, ND) explains the paces as follows–
Gallop–horse's or other quadraped's fastest pace with all fleet off ground together in each stride.
Canter–easy gallop, Spring–jump, move rapidly or suddenly,
Trot–proceed at steady pace faster than walk, lifting each diagonal pair of legs alternately, often with brief intervals during which body is resupported.

[4]:

Amarakośa, ed. ALRC, Vol. I, pp. 513-14:

Āskanditam—According to Vivṛti, āskanditam is the admirable gait of the horse while the same according to Pārijāta is a spring of an angry horse with all its feet off the ground:

vivṛti—
āskandati caturaṃ gacchatīti āskanditam |
skandir gatiśoṣaṇayoḥ |
pārijāta—
kopāt sarvapadairutplutyotplutya gamanamāskanditam |

Dhoraṇam—Vivṛti explains this dhoraṇam pace to be a gallop while according to Pārijāta it is the leap or jump or a gait similar to those of a heron, peacock, hog or a mangoose.

vivṛti—
dhoraṇam ātivegena dhāvanaṃ dhoritakam |
dhorṛ gaticāturye |
pārijāta—
kaṅkaśikhikroḍanakulagataiḥ sadṛśaṃ dhauritaṃ |