ASHVASHASTRA
- Ashvashastra (ಅಶ್ವಶಾಸ್ತ್ರ)
- ashvashAstra
- Abhinavachandra (aBinavacandra)
- 1400 A.D. (approximately) 1200 A.D. (B.S.Sannaiah)
- The science of breeding and maintaining horses
- Books on veterinary sciences are very rare in ancient Kannada.
Ashvashastra by Abhinavachandra is one such work dealing exclusively with
horses. This work is also called ‘Chandramatha’ and ‘Turagagama’. The
author has acknowledged his indebtedness to works on the same topic by
Sanskrit writers such as Chandrakavi, Revantha and Simhadatta.
‘Ashvashastra’ contains sixteen chapters constituting about 900
poems. Most of them are ‘Kanda Padyas’. The book delineates the art of
clinically examining various parts of a horse’s body. Lots of information
about the positive and negative aspects of a horse’s complexion,
inauspicious and auspicious marks,(Suli) and determination of its age by
looking at its teeth are dealt with in detail. Various diseases that are
specific to horses and the treatment to be meted out to them are
described. This work renders great help in determining the meaning of many
technical words dealing with horses that occur in literary texts. All in
all, it is a simple and straight forward narration of technical
matters.
- Edited by H.Shesha Iyyengar and P.Srinivasa Rao in 1950,
published by the University of Madras. The second edition was edited by
G.G.Manjunathan and published by The University of Mysore.
- References:
- G.G. Manjunathan has prepared his edition based on five more
incomplete manuscripts
- The Science of Horses
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