Vedic Metre in its Historical Development c17.23

c17.23

Except as regards the groups here discussed, the revision of the grouping only affects single hymns or very small groups. In the list of hymns previously assigned to the popular Rigveda no alteration has been made, as very little new evidence has been gathered. In the Rigveda proper, attention has been mainly directed to two points, the grouping found in the Saṃhitā text, and the ‘metrical picture.’ Where these both point in the same direction, any divergent indications that may have been noticed in Ch. III are now usually disregarded, and the grouping is simplified accordingly. Where this agreement is wanting, the metrical picture has generally been followed if it is well marked: but if this is not the case, or if the group or hymn is very short, the arrangement previously adopted has been left unaltered, an italic letter in the left-hand column being used to indicate that the metrical picture by itself would point to a different conclusion.