This manuscript page from the Halasya Mahatmya contains the Examination of Horse Characteristics as spoken by Shiva. The text focuses on asva lakshana pariksha, the systematic evaluation of equine features and qualities. It represents a section of Shaiva scripture dealing with practical knowledge about horses within a religious framework.

Sanskrit

Aśvaratnaparīkṣā

This Sanskrit manuscript fragment (folio 35) from the *Halāsyamahātmya* presents a dramatic narrative of divine intervention in equine examination (*aśvalakṣaṇaparīkṣā*), wherein Śiva fulfills his promise to provide horses to the Pāṇḍya king through his gaṇas. The text uniquely blends veterinary science with hagiographical elements, depicting the minister Vācakeśa's tribulations, his unwavering Śaiva devotion, and the miraculous transformation of jackals into splendid horses by Śiva's attendants. The passage culminates in a theatrical revelation where the disguised divine horseman—ultimately revealed as Paśupati himself—demonstrates equine mastery, offering a rare intersection of practical zoography and devotional literature in medieval South Indian Śaivism.