Vedic Metre in its Historical Development c13.164

c13.164

(ii) The complexity of the lyric metres has led to a general belief that they must be of comparatively late developement. In particular, this has been felt with regard to the Atyaṣṭi hymns i 127–139. Undoubtedly these elaborate stanzas presuppose earlier and simpler forms : but it is not necessary that these earlier forms should be such as the Rigveda has preserved. We find however in the Anuṣṭubh hymns of Atri and Vimada, and in the uneven lyric hymns, all the materials necessary for the construction of the more elaborate metres, namely the dimeter verse, the verse of four syllables, and the trimeter verse. The mutual influence of the dimeter verse of eight syllables and the trimeter verse of eleven is sufficient to account for the creation of a dimeter verse of seven syllables and a trimeter verse of twelve : in uneven lyric metre all these varieties are combined, but in the later lyric poetry only verses of eight and of twelve syllables are used.