Vedic Metre in its Historical Development c15.2

c15.2

239. WITH the conclusion of the analysis of dimeter and trimeter verse the discussion of Vedic metre is in the main complete: the combination of verses into stanzas and strophes being usually so simple that it has been sufficiently explained in the General Introduction. There remain however for consideration a number of hymns, chiefly belonging to the earlier periods of Vedic poetry, which are constructed upon principles which differ from those already discussed in detail. In these hymns the rhythm or internal structure is on the whole of comparatively small importance, whilst the number of syllables in the verse, and the combination of verses into stanzas and of stanzas into strophes, that is to say, the elements of the ‘external structure’ (§ 30) require to be carefully considered. This inquiry is of a much easier kind than those in which we have so far been engaged. It will be found that most of the hymns to be examined belong to groups that are fairly well defined, and which include one or two standard types and a number of variations which only slightly depart from them. Such groups are (i) the ‘uneven lyric’ hymns, (ii) the lyric and dimeter triplets, amongst which Uṣṇih and Gāyatrī are most prominent, (iii) the Kakubh-Satoṛhatī and Bṛhatī-Satoṛhatī strophes, (iv) the Atyaṣṭi hymns and (v) the decasyllabic metres. After the consideration of the separate groups it will be possible to discuss the few hymns which do not fall into the classification, and to consider the relationship of the groups to one another and to the bulk of the hymns in the Rigveda; and also such traces of strophic arrangement as can be found in ordinary trimeter verse.