Agni Purana — Ayurveda, Shloka 10
Chapter 288 — अश्वचिकित्सा
Aśva-cikitsā) | Horse-Medicine (Śālihotra to Suśruta
पालितस्तु हयो दन्ती शुभदो दुःखदो ऽन्यथा श्रियः पुत्रास्तु गन्धर्वा वाजिनो रत्नमुत्तमम्
pālitastu hayo dantī śubhado duḥkhado 'nyathā śriyaḥ putrāstu gandharvā vājino ratnamuttamam
សេះដែលបានថែរក្សាល្អ និងដំរីមានភ្លុក ជាអ្នកផ្តល់ផលល្អមង្គល; បើមិនដូច្នោះទេ វាក្លាយជាមូលហេតុនៃទុក្ខវេទនា។ សេះត្រូវបាននិយាយថាជាបុត្ររបស់ Śrī (សំណាង/សិរី) ជាពួក Gandharva (តន្ត្រីករព្រះ) ហើយជាទ្រព្យរតនាដ៏ល្អបំផុត។
Lord Agni (narrating to sage Vasiṣṭha, as per the Agni Purāṇa’s standard dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Samanya","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Guidance for royal household/army logistics: maintain horses and elephants well to secure prosperity and avoid suffering; treat them as high-value assets.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Description","entry_title":"Śubha-phala of well-kept horse and tusked elephant; horses as supreme treasure","lookup_keywords":["pālita-haya","dantī-gaja","śubhada","duḥkhada","śrī-putra-vājina"],"quick_summary":"Properly maintained horses and tusked elephants yield auspicious results; neglected ones bring distress. Horses are praised as precious wealth, linked symbolically with Śrī and Gandharvas."}
Alamkara Type: Rūpaka (implicit identification of horses with ‘sons of Śrī’ / Gandharvas)
Concept: Stewardship (pālana) of dependent beings and resources is itself auspicious; negligence yields suffering.
Application: Institutional care: establish stables/elephant-houses, regular feeding, grooming, and medical oversight to sustain prosperity and security.
Khanda Section: Shakuna-śāstra (Omens) / Aśva–Gaja-lakṣaṇa (Horse & Elephant physiognomy)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A prosperous royal stable and elephant-yard: a well-groomed horse and a tusked elephant receive care; a contrasting vignette shows neglected animals causing mishap; allegorical presence of Śrī and Gandharvas blessing the horse.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, symmetrical composition: attendants grooming a horse and offering fodder to a tusked elephant; Śrī as a radiant figure bestowing blessing; Gandharvas with instruments in the upper register; bold outlines and decorative borders.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style with gold work: central jeweled horse as ‘ratna’; Śrī with lotus and gold halo; small Gandharva musicians; rich reds and greens, ornate stable setting.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting: didactic split-scene—left ‘pālita’ (well-kept) horse/elephant with auspicious symbols, right neglected with warning signs; fine linework and soft palette.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: courtly stable management scene with detailed tack, attendants, and a tusked elephant; subtle allegorical figures of Śrī and Gandharvas in the sky; intricate textiles and architecture."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: पालितस्तु = पालितः + तु. दुःखदो ऽन्यथा = दुःखदः + अन्यथा. पुत्रास्तु = पुत्राः + तु. रत्नमुत्तमम् = रत्नम् + उत्तमम्.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 288 (aśva–gaja-lakṣaṇa and śakuna context)
FAQs
It teaches śubha–aśubha (auspicious/inauspicious) assessment of royal animals: properly maintained horses and tusked elephants bring prosperity, while neglected or improperly kept ones lead to adversity.
It preserves practical statecraft-adjacent knowledge—royal animal management and omenology—showing the Purāṇa’s coverage beyond theology into governance, wealth indicators, and applied sign-science (śakuna).
The verse implies that dharmic care and right stewardship of living dependents (horses/elephants) aligns with Śrī (fortune) and yields śubha-phala, whereas negligence produces duḥkha-phala (painful karmic outcomes).