Vedic Metre in its Historical Development c5.13

c5.13

11. It may be said without hesitation that the two propositions just stated constitute the only possible basis for the historical study of the Rigveda. In consequence of their great importance they will be fully examined in the earlier chapters of this book : for the moment it will be sufficient to notice that they depend on arguments partly of language, partly of metre, each being held to confirm the other. As before, the arguments are quantitative in character. If in a particular collection forming part of the Rigveda certain features of language or metre recur with much greater frequency than in other parts, it is held that that collection is historically homogeneous, being the work either of one poet or of poets connected in time and in family. On the other hand, if in that collection we find one or more hymns in which these common features are absent, it is held that these are misplaced in the text, and should be assigned to some other author or period in accordance with their inner content.