Vedic Metre in its Historical Development c14.139

c14.139

It appears at once that all the groups agree in the general contrast between the regular forms ◡ — ◡ — (◡), and the irregular forms ◡ ◡ ◡ ◡ (◡) which have ‘consecutive short syllables’ in the second and third places: but that forms which have consecutive short syllables in the fourth and fifth places are also irregular. The remaining forms may be considered as occasional forms under all conditions, the ‘syncopated’ type ◡ ◡ — — (◡) being everywhere the most common; but occasional forms are comparatively rare where the caesura is late.