Vedic Metre in its Historical Development c16: Appendix III. The Various Forms of the Stanza

Vedic Metre in its Historical Development c16

Language: English

c16.s1 A. Stanzas of Two Verses — 57 parts
c16.s2 D. Stanzas of Five Verses — 16 parts
c16.s3 E. Stanzas of Six Verses — 15 parts

Appendix III. The Various Forms of the Stanza

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253. The following list shews the various forms of the stanza which occur in the Rigveda. For convenience of reference they are arranged in the ascending order of the number of verses in the stanza, and of the number of syllables in each verse in order. The titles given in the Anukramaṇī are given when they are practically convenient, but omitted when they are misleading. New titles are given within square brackets.

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The number of verses in the stanza varies from two to eight. In the Saṃhitā text the single verses iv 17 15, v 41 20, 42 17, 43 16, and vi 63 11 are treated as stanzas, but in each case the verse really belongs to the preceding stanza. The verse x 20 1 is not a stanza, but an abbreviated quotation of x 25 1.

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¹ Type 8.8: *Dvipadā Gāyatrī*. A variation of Gāyatrī, occurring in ix 67 16-18. The three stanzas are together equivalent to a Mahāpaṅkti stanza.

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² Type 8.12. Stanzas apparently of this type seem always to be capable of resolution into three verses: see Nos. 6 and 8.

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³ Type 11.11: *Dvipadā Triṣṭubh*. This stanza occurs vi 47 25, vii 17, *x 157 2-5: also according to the text in vi 10 7, 17 15, but these verses may more appropriately be considered as parts of the stanzas preceding: see No. 69.

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⁴ Type 12.8: [*Dvipadā Satoḅhatī*]. This metre is regularly used in viii 29, and also appears in the text in viii 46 30. In other instances the verses seem to belong to a preceding Satoḅhatī stanza: see No.

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⁷² In *x 157 1 the corresponding type 11.8 is found.

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⁵ Type 12.12: [*Dvipadā Jagatī*]. A possible interpretation of the stanzas viii 46 13, 15.

A. Stanzas of Two Verses

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B. STANZAS OF THREE VERSES.

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6. Type 8.4.8: ix 109 22, x 172 3.

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7. Type 8.8.3: occurs v 24 in a hymn of four verses, of which the first is of the type 8.8.4: see § 242 iii.

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8. Type 8.8.4: x 172 1, 2, 4.

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9. Type 8.8.8: *Gāyatrī*. Common in all periods; see Ch. VII throughout: for the strophes see § 245 iii.

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10. Type 8.8.11: probably aimed at in i 150, see § 242 ii.

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11. Type 8.8.12: *Uṣṇih*. Regularly used in triplets, § 245 i.

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12. Type 8.12.8: *Kakubh*. For the use in lyric triplets see §§ 245 ii, 246 i; in the Kakubh-Sato-bṛhatī strophe § 246 ii.

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13. Type 11.7.11. Used in x 105, see § 244 iii.

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14. Type 11.8.8. This uneven lyric stanza occurs in x 93 2, for which see § 242 v: an occurrence in the popular Rigveda *iv 57 5 may be due to some error in the text. It is possible that this is also the metre aimed at in ix 67 30, where each of the last two verses has nine syllables.

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15. Type 11.11.7. This uneven lyric metre is imperfectly preserved in i 120 1-9: see § 244 ii.

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16. Type 11.11.11: *Virāj [Tripadā Triṣṭubh]*. This metre is established in the strophic period, and the stanzas are usually grouped in triplets: see § 251 i. Hymns not so arranged are i 149, iii 25, vii 1 1-20. This stanza occurs in i 120 3 in place of No. 15.

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17. Type 12.8.8: *Pura uṣṇih*. This stanza usually occurs as the last in a lyric triplet; see § 245 ii: other occurrences are vi 48 13, viii 30 2. Occurrences in the popular Rigveda are doubtful, but appear in the text as *i 23 19, *vii 66 16.

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18. Type 12.8.12. This stanza occurs in ix 110 1-3, and is perhaps the basis of viii 46 14 (13.8.14).

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19. Type 12.12.12: [*Tripadā Jagatī*]. This stanza is found in triplets in ix 110 4-6, 7-9.

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C. STANZAS OF FOUR VERSES.

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²⁰ Type 5.5.5.5: *Dvipadā Virāj [Pentad]*. See § 249.

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²¹ Type 5.5.5.11: *Padapaṅkti*. A variation of No. 20, occurring in iv 10: see § 249 iii.

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²² Type 8.4.8.8: [*Dimeter Pura uṣṇih*]. This stanza is found in the text in viii 28 4, 46 5: in each case the short verse is perhaps a gloss, and the stanza really *Gāyatrī*.

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²³ Type 8.8.4.8: [*Dimeter Kakubh*]. Occurs viii 22 11, as a variation of Kakubh in the usual strophe: see § 246 ii.

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²⁴ Type 8.8.8.4: [*Dimeter Uṣṇih*]. For the occurrences see § 192, and for the arrangement in strophes § 245 i.

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²⁵ Type 8.8.8.8: *Anuṣṭubh*. See Ch. VII throughout.

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26. Type 8.8.12.8: *Bṛhatī*. Most regularly in the *Bṛhatī-Sato-bṛhatī* strophe, see § 246 iii : occasionally in triplets, § 246 iv : in homogeneous hymns and in detached verses, § 246 iv.

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27. Type 8.8.12.12. In viii 10 4 this stanza represents *Sato-bṛhatī* : see § 246 iii. In *x 170 4 it is probably the accidental result of contamination of *Anuṣṭubh* and *Jagatī* verse; cf. Nos. 35, 39, 46.

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28. Type 8.11.11.11. A stanza of this type is found in the text v 19 5 : either it is to be read as a *Paṅkti* verse by omitting *vāyúnā* in *b*, or it is parallel to No. 8 : see § 244 iv.

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29. Type 8.12.8.8: *Skandhogrīvī*. Occurs i 175 1 in an *Anuṣṭubh* hymn.

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30. Type 8.12.8.12: *Viparītā*. This stanza represents *Sato-bṛhatī* in viii 46 12 : see § 246 iii.

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31. Type 8.12.12.8: *Viṣṭārapaṅkti*. This stanza is equivalent to *Satobṛhatī* and is used in connexion with it : it occurs x 140 1, 2, 144 6 : see § 246 v.

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32. The type 9.9.8.8 occurs i 187 11. It is perhaps only an accidental variation of *Anuṣṭubh*.

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33. Type 10.10.10.10: *Virāṭsthānā*. In ii 11 ; complete stanzas are rare, but one is quoted in § 50. See § 250 i.

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34. Type 10.10.10.10: [*Gautamī*]. There is no complete stanza, but i 61 13 is nearly complete. See § 250 iii.

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35. Type 11.8.8.8: *Purastādbr̥hatī*. This important uneven lyric metre is regularly used in x 22 (§ 243) and may probably be restored in x 93 3, 13 (§ 242 v). The occurrence in *x 17 13 is perhaps accidental : cf. Nos. 27, 39, and 46.

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36. Type 11.8.11.8: *Viṣamāpadā*. This appears to be an uneven lyric metre, but only occurs in viii 46 20 : see § 244 iv.

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37. The type 11.11.7.7 occurs i 120 4, and is a variation of No. 15.

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38. Type 11.11.7.11. This is an uneven lyric metre, similar to No. 13 : it is found in i 88 5 (§ 244 i), and in x 132 3, 4, 5 (§ 242 vi).

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39. Type 11.11.8.8. This important uneven lyric metre is found in i 88 6 (§ 244 i) and in x 93 1, 4, 14 (§ 242 v). Cf. Nos. 38 and 46. For the occurrence in *i 164 42 cf. Nos. 27, 35 and 46.

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40. Type 11.11.8.11. This occurs in i 88 1 (§ 244 i), and in the text in i 122 5.

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41. Type 11.11.11.8. This is found in the text in iii 21 4 : see § 244 iv.

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42. Type 11.11.11.11: *Triṣṭubh*. See Ch. VIII throughout.

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43. Type 12.8.8.8. This variation of No. 35, for which it has suggested a title, is only found in x 93 15.

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44. Type 12.8.12.8: *Satobṛhatī*. This stanza is almost exclusively found in strophes (occasionally in triplets) combined either with *Kakubh* or with *Bṛhatī*: see § 246.

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45. Type 12.8.12.12: *Madhyejyotis*. This variation of Sato-bṛhatī is found in viii 10 2, 22 12: see § 246 ii iii.

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46. Type 12.12.8.8: *Prastārapaṅkti*. This stanza is closely connected with No. 39, and is found frequently in x 93 and 132, and as the concluding verse of a triplet in vii 96 3. See §§ 242 v vi, 246 i. There is an occurrence in the popular Rigveda in *x 18 11: cf. Nos. 27, 35 and 39.

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47. Type 12.12.12.8: *Upariṣṭājjyotis*. This is a variation of Sato-bṛhatī, the regular metre of viii 35, and also found in viii 103 5, and x 140 6, 144 5, and 150 4, 5. In x 140 6 it is described in the Anukramaṇī as Triṣṭubh. See § 246 v.

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48. Type 12.12.12.12: *Jagatī*. Common only in the normal and cretic periods, see § 114 Note 4: even in these the metre is almost unknown to Kuśika (Maṇḍala iii). See Chapter viii throughout. For the relation to Triṣṭubh see § 251 vi.

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49. The type 12.12.14.12 appears to occur in viii 97 10: cf. the next No.

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50. Type 13.13.13.13: *Atijagatī*. A complete stanza is found viii 97 13: and the two following stanzas appear to aim at the same result.

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51. Type 20.11.11.11. This is found in *vii 50 4, and invites emendation.

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⁵² Type 5.5.5.5.11: *Mahāpadapaṅkti*. This stanza occurs in iv 10 5, and is an extension of No. 21.

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⁵³ Type 8.8.8.4.8 [*Dimeter Bṛhatī*]. This variation of No. 25 occurs viii 46 7, 62 7-9.

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⁵⁴ Type 8.8.8.8.4: *Upariṣṭādbṛhatī*. This variation of No. 25 is the only lyric metre which is found mostly in the later parts of the Rigveda: it occurs *vii 55 2-4; viii 46 18, 97 11, 12; x 126 1-7 (5 irregular).

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⁵⁵ Type 8.8.8.8.8.8: *Paṅkti*. This metre was originally an extension of No. 25, and only used in concluding stanzas of Anuṣṭubh hymns: but it is found as an independent metre in i 29, 80, 81, 82 1-5, 84 10-12, 105; v 6, 75, 79; viii 31 15-18, 39, 46 21, 24; and in the popular Rigveda in *x 86.

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⁵⁶ Type 8.8.12.8.8: *Mahābṛhatī*. This occurs i 105 8; vi 48 7; and is a variation of No.

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²⁶ See § 246 iii.

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⁵⁷ Type 11.7.7.11.11. This extension of No. 12 is found in x 105 11: see § 244 iii.

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⁵⁸ Type 11.11.11.11.11: *Śakvarī*. This extension of the Triṣṭubh stanza is fairly common in the archaic period, and occasional later: it occurs iv 17 14-15, 27 3; v 2 12, 41 16-17, 19-20, 42 16-17, 43 15-16; vi 2 11, 15 15, 31 4, 49 15, 63 10-11; x 115 9. See § 94 iv.

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⁵⁹ Type 12.8 | 8.8:8: viii 35 23 (cf. No. 49), 46 22, and x 93 9 (cf. No. 48).

D. Stanzas of Five Verses

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60. Type 12.8 | 12.8.8: *Mahāsatobṛhatī*. This stanza is an extension of No. 44, and takes its place in the strophe (§ 246 iii) in vi 48 6, 8, 21.

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61. Type 12.12 | 8.8.8. This stanza is only found in viii 36 7 = 37 7, and x 132 7. See § 242 vi.

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62. Type 12.12.8.12.8. A stanza belonging to the Atyaṣṭi group, and found in iv 1 2. See § 247 ii.

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63. Type 12.12 | 12.8.8. This stanza is regularly employed in v 87, and is also found in vi 48 15, viii 46 17. It occupies an intermediate position between Satobṛhatī (No. 44) and the Atyaṣṭi group: see § 245 ii.

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64. Type 12.12 | 12.12.8. This is an extension of the Jagatī stanza, found in vi 15 3.

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65. Type 12.12 | 12.12.12 [*Pañcapadā Jagatī*]. This extension of the Jagatī stanza is found in *ii 43 2 and vi 15 6.

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⁶⁶ Type 8.8 | 8.4.8.4: *Astārapaṅkti*. This extension of the Anuṣṭubh stanza is peculiar to the Vimada group, being found in x 21, 24 1-3, and 25: see § 248.

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⁶⁷ Type 8.8 | 8.4.8.8. This stanza is found, perhaps by some error in the text, in *i 191 13. Cf. No. 54.

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⁶⁸ Type 8.8 | 8.8 | 8.8: *Mahāpaṅkti*. This metre first appears as an extension of an Anuṣṭubh stanza in v 86 6; it is used in association with Paṅkti in *x 59 9, 10. As an independent metre or associated with a still longer stanza it appears not to be earlier than the normal period, and occurs in viii 39-41, x 133 4-6, 134 1-6. The grouping of the verses varies, even in the same hymn.

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⁶⁹ Type 11.11 | 11.11.11.11. This stanza is not recognized in the Saṃhitā text, but is a probable interpretation of the pairs of stanzas which appear as vi 10 6-7, 17 14-15.

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⁷⁰ Type 12.4.8 | 12.4.8. This occurs in viii 37 2-6, and is a developement of Satobṛhatī. The verse of four syllables always consists of an unaccented word.

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⁷¹ Type 12.8.8 | 12.8.8. A variation of the last No., found in viii 37 1.

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⁷² Type 12.8 | 12.8 | 12.8. This is an extension of Satobṛhatī, not recognized in the text, but found in the stanzas vii 32 2-3, viii 19 26-27, ix 107 2-3, 15-16. Cf. No. 4, and see § 246.

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⁷³ Type 12.12 | 8.8.8.8. This stanza is found in viii 36 1-6: see § 247 iv.

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⁷⁴ Type 12.12.8 | 12.12.8. This stanza belongs to the Atyaṣṭi group: it is found in i 135 7, 8. See § 247 ii.

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⁷⁵ Type 12.12.8 | 12.12.12. This stanza also belongs to the Atyaṣṭi group: it is found in iv 1 1.

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Ṛgvedasaṃhitā — Sanskrit
Anukramaṇī

Vedic Metre in its Historical Development c16: Appendix III. The Various Forms of the Stanza

Contents

Appendix III. The Various Forms of the Stanza

A. Stanzas of Two Verses

D. Stanzas of Five Verses

E. Stanzas of Six Verses

Linked texts (2)