Vedic Metre in its Historical Development c12.s3.32

c12.s3.32

167. In compounds of which the prior element is a preposition or particle, with which may be considered certain combinations of prepositions with nouns and finite verbs, the phonetic character of the second element seems to be of chief importance. Thus (i) many prepositions appear to have long final syllables before -vṛta and some other words beginning with v: (ii) ápā is found in the combination ápā vṛdhi: (iii) abhí is occasionally supported by the metre in abhíyúj, and is found in the text in combinations such as abhí narāḥ, abhí navante, abhí ṣát: (iv) the negative a- is regularly long in āvṛta and frequently in áriṣṭa and cognate forms, and in ásat. There occur also (v) some other irregularities which cannot be classified.