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{{Short description|Divine horse in Hinduism}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2016}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2016}}
{{Infobox deity
| type = Hindu
| image = Wayang kuda yang mirip Uccaihsrawa.jpg
| caption = Indonesian depiction of Uchchaihshravas
| world = [[Svarga]]
| texts = [[Mahabharata]]
}}[[File:Uchchaihshravas1.jpg|thumb|A painting depicting seven-headed Uchchaihshravas]]
In [[Hindus|Hinduism]], '''Uchchaihshravas''' ({{lang-sa|उच्चैःश्रवस्|Uccaiḥśravas}} or {{lang-sa|उच्चैःश्रवा|Uccaiḥśravā|label=none}}, "long-ears" or "neighing aloud"<ref name="Penguin UK">{{cite book |last1=Doniger |first1=Wendy |title=Hindu Myths: A Sourcebook Translated from the Sanskrit |date=2004 |publisher=Penguin UK |isbn=9780141903750 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KzlCthJ4SLkC&q=Uccai%E1%B8%A5%C5%9Bravas&pg=PA220 |language=en}}</ref>) is a seven-headed flying horse, created during the [[Samudra manthan|churning of the milk ocean]]. It is considered the best of horses, the prototype and the king of the horses.<ref name="Penguin UK"/> Uchchaihshravas is often described as a ''[[vahana]]'' ("vehicle") of [[Indra]] (the king of the gods), but is also recorded to be the horse of [[Mahabali|Bali]], the king of the [[asura]]s (demons). Uchchaihshravas is said to be snow [[White horses in mythology|white]] in colour.

==Literature==

=== Mahabharata ===
{{Main articles|Samudra Manthana}}
The ''[[Mahabharata]]'' mentions that Uchchaihshravas rose from the [[Samudra manthan|Samudra Manthana]] ("churning of [[Kshirasagara|the milk ocean]]") and [[Indra]]—the god-king of [[Svarga|heaven]]—seized it and made it his vehicle ([[vahana]]). The stallion rose from the ocean along with other treasures like goddess [[Lakshmi]] - the goddess of fortune, who chose [[Vishnu]] as her consort, and the [[amrita]] - the elixir of life.<ref name="Mani">{{cite book |author=Mani, Vettam |url=https://archive.org/details/puranicencyclopa00maniuoft |title=Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary With Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |year=1975 |isbn=0-8426-0822-2 |location=Delhi |page=[https://archive.org/details/puranicencyclopa00maniuoft/page/800 800]}}</ref> The legend of Uchchaihshravas, rising from the milk ocean, also appears in the ''[[Vishnu Purana]]'', the ''[[Ramayana]]'', the ''[[Matsya Purana]]'', the ''[[Vayu Purana]]'' etc. While various scriptures give different lists of treasures (''ratnas'') of those appeared from the churning of the ocean of milk, most of them agree that Uchchaihshravas was one of them.<ref name="beer">{{cite book |last=Beér |first=Robert |title=The encyclopedia of Tibetan symbols and motifs |publisher=Serindia Publications, Inc. |year=2004 |pages=65, 109}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/vp/vp044.htm#fr_236|title=The Vishnu Purana: Book I: Chapter IX|last=Horace Hayman Wilson|author-link=Horace Hayman Wilson|year=1840|publisher=Sacred Texts Archive|access-date=14 July 2010|archive-date=9 September 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060909124522/http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/vp/vp044.htm#fr_236|url-status=live}}</ref>

The ''Mahabharata'' also mentions a bet between sisters and wives of [[Kashyapa]] - [[Vinata]] and [[Kadru]] about the colour of Uchchaihshravas's tail. While Vinata—the mother of [[Garuda]] and [[Aruṇa|Aruna]]—said it was white, Kadru said it was black. The loser would have to become a servant of the winner. Kadru told her [[Nāga|Naga]] ("serpent") sons to cover the tail of the horse and thus make it appear as black in colour and thus, Kadru won.<ref name="Mani" /><ref name="beer" />

[[File:Kamadhenu Uchchaisravas.jpg|thumb|left|A seven-headed winged Uchchaihshravas with other treasures from Samudra manthan.]]

=== Bhagavad Gita ===
Uchchaihshravas is also mentioned in the ''[[Bhagavad Gita]]'' (10.27, which is part of the ''Mahabharata''), a discourse by god [[Krishna]]—an [[avatar]] of Vishnu—to [[Arjuna]]. When Krishna declares himself to be the source of the universe, he declares that among horses, he is Uchchaihshravas—he who is born from the amrita.<ref>{{cite book|last=Radhakrishnan|first=S.|author-link=Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan|title=The Bhagavadgita|date=January 1977|publisher=Blackie & Son (India) Ltd.|page=264|chapter=10.27}}</ref>

=== Hariharacaturanga ===
The twelfth-century ''Hariharacaturanga'' records once [[Brahma]], the creator-god, performed a sacrifice, out of which rose a winged white horse called Uchchaihshravas. Uchchaihshravas again rose out of the cosmic Ocean of Milk and was taken by the king of the demons ([[Asura]]) [[Mahabali|Bali]], who used it to attain many impossible things.<ref>{{cite book|last=Dikshitar|first=V. R. Ramachandra |title=War in Ancient India|year=1999|publisher=Cosmo Publications|isbn=81-7020-894-7|page=175}}</ref>

=== Vishnu Purana ===
The ''[[Vishnu Purana]]'' records that when [[Prithu]] was installed as the first king on earth, others were also given kingship responsibilities. Uchchaihshravas was then made the king of horses.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/vp/vp057.htm|title=Vishnu Purana: Book 1: Chapter XXII|author=Horace Hayman Wilson|author-link=Horace Hayman Wilson|year=1840|publisher=Sacred Texts archive|access-date=14 July 2010|archive-date=8 December 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101208155655/http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/vp/vp057.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Kumarasambhava ===
The ''[[Kumarasambhava]],'' by [[Kalidasa]], narrates that Uchchaihshravas, the best of horses and symbol of Indra's glory, was robbed by the demon [[Tarakasura]] from [[Svarga|heaven]].<ref>{{cite book|editor=Devahar, C R|title=Kumāra-Sambhava of Kālidāsa|year=1997|publisher=Motilal Banarasidas Publishers|page=25|chapter=2.47}}</ref>

==In popular culture==
* [[George Harrison]]'s [[Dark Horse Records]] music label uses a logo inspired by Uchchaihshravas.

==See also==
* [[List of fictional horses]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
*''Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend'' ({{ISBN|0-500-51088-1}}) by Anna Dallapiccola

{{HinduMythology}}

[[Category:Hindu legendary creatures]]
[[Category:Horses in mythology]]
[[Category:Indian legendary characters]]
[[Category:Mythical many-headed creatures]]
[[Category:Horses in Hinduism]]

Uchchaihshravas - Revision history

Ajay Kumar: Created a new article