Vedic Metre in its Historical Development c13.27

c13.27

186. The general rhythm which is found in lyric, early Anuṣṭubh, and Gāyatrī verse, and also as regards the opening in Trochaic Gāyatrī and in the odd verses of the epic Anuṣṭubh and as regards the cadence in the even verses of epic Anuṣṭubh, may be distinguished as the *normal dimeter rhythm* from the special forms found in the cadence of Trochaic Gāyatrī and of the odd verses of epic Anuṣṭubh, and in the opening of the even verses of epic Anuṣṭubh. In some particulars, as in the use of the openings ◡ — —, ◡ — ◡, ◡ ◡ —, the normal rhythm is almost exactly the same in every group; but in the remaining particulars there are differences which, if not striking, are at least too large to be the work of chance. These may be summarized in the two contrasts, that (i) in the openings of early Anuṣṭubh the iambic form is more than twice as common as the two syncopated forms together, whilst in the Gāyatrī of Group VII it is only equally common, and that (ii) in the early Anuṣṭubh hymns irregularities either of opening or cadence are found in 15 verses in each 100, whilst in the Gāyatrī of Group VI they are only found in 5 verses in each 100. In both points there is approximate agreement between the lyric and Anuṣṭubh groups on the one hand, and the two Gāyatrī groups on the other, and the change seems therefore due to time rather than to metre. We have therefore the presumption of two historical tendencies, which may be shortly called (i) the increase of syncopation, and (ii) the diminution of irregularities. We proceed to trace the progress of these tendencies by examining them in several small groups of hymns which together include nearly all the dimeter verse of the Rigveda.