Vedic Metre in its Historical Development c13.3

c13.3

(i) the general type of dimeter verse follows a metrical scheme of an iambic character, namely ◡ – ◡ – | ◡ ◡ – ◡, variations from this scheme being comparatively common in the opening of the verse and occasional in the cadence. Verses of this type are found (a) in the lyric metres which prevail in Group I and are fairly common in the other groups of the archaic and strophic periods, and in which trimeter and dimeter verses are combined in many different arrangements, (b) in Anuṣṭubh stanzas, chiefly in Group II (Atri and Vimada hymns), and less often in Groups III and V, and (c) in Gāyatrī stanzas in all parts of the Rigveda, but especially in Groups V, VI and VII;