Vedic Metre in its Historical Development c4.11

c4.11

The first group of these questions has to do with the proposed ‘resolutions’ by which H. Grassmann in his Wörterbuch zum Rigveda (1873) has attempted to restore completeness to numerous verses in the Rigveda in the number of syllables: and more particularly with the restoration of *indara* for *indra*, and of -*aam* for -*ām* in the genitive plural. Although the native commentators justify the principle of resolution, there have always been scholars who have questioned Grassmann’s procedure, which in fact assumes a fluidity of pronunciation not known in any settled language. I trust that the treatment of these points in Ch. III will greatly reduce the uncertainty that has hitherto prevailed on these points.