Vedic Metre in its Historical Development c13.160

c13.160

Many Gāyatrī hymns have a rhythm of the type just described; but the great majority of hymns in this metre differ from it in favouring the syncopated openings at the cost of the iambic opening. The same tendency can be observed in several hymns in Anuṣṭubh, Paṅkti, and Mahāpaṅkti: but otherwise the developement of syncopation does not coexist with variety of form in the stanza. A systematic use of trochaic cadence is found in many Gāyatrī hymns, and in one or two in other metres.