Vedic Metre in its Historical Development c10.106

c10.106

131. The distribution of the principal variations from the Vedic rules of Sandhi combination is shewn in the table following. The whole number of variations is about 1200: the instances in which the rules are observed may be estimated at ten times that number. About one half of the variations are in favour of hiatus, and one half in favour of combination. Of those in favour of hiatus two-thirds are found in the bardic period; of those in favour of combination only a quarter are so found. This result is a substantial confirmation of the view that the hymns of the bardic period are earlier in date than the rest of the Rigveda.