Page:Atharva-Veda samhita.djvu/150

cxlii ⌊The two broadest principles of arrangement of books i.-xviii.—Leaving book XX. out of account, and disregarding also for the present book xix. as being a palpable supplement (see pages 895-8), it is not difficult to trace the two principles that underlie the general arrangement of the material of books i.-xviii. These principles are:⌋

⌊'''1. Miscellaneity or unity of subject and 2. length of hymn.'''—The books i.-xviii. fall accordingly into two general classes: 1. books of which the hymns are characterized by miscellaneity of subject and in which the length of the hymns is regarded; and 2. books of which the distinguishing characteristic is a general unity of subject and in which the precise length of the hymns is not primarily regarded, although they are prevailingly long. The first class again falls into two divisions: 1. the short hymns; and 2. the long hymns.⌋

⌊The three grand divisions (I. and II. and III.) as based on those principles.—We thus have, for books i.-xviii., three grand divisions, as follows: I. the first grand division, consisting of the seven books, i.-vii., and comprehending the short hymns of miscellaneous subjects, more specifically, all the hymns (not paryāyas: p. cxxxiv) of a less number of verses than twenty ; II. the second grand division, consisting of the next five books, viii.-xii., and comprehending the long hymns of miscellaneous subjects, more specifically, all the hymns (save those belonging to the third division) of more than twenty verses; and III. the third grand division, consisting, as aforesaid, of those books of which the distinguishing characteristic is a general unity of subject, to wit, the six books, xiii.-xviii. —There are other features, not a few, which differentiate these divisions one from another; they will be mentioned below, under the several divisions.⌋

⌊The order of the three grand divisions.—It is clear that the text ought to begin with division I., since that is the most characteristic part of it all, and since books i.-vi. are very likely the original nucleus of the whole collection. Since division I. is made up of hymns of miscellaneous subjects (the short ones), it is natural that the other hymns of miscellaneous subjects (the long ones) should follow next. Thus the last place is naturally left for the books characterized by unity of subject. This order agrees with that of the hymn-totals of the divisions, which form (cf. tables 1, 2, 3) a descending scale of 433 and 45 and 15.⌋

⌊Principles of arrangement of books within the grand division.—If we have rightly determined the first rough grouping of the material of books i.-xviii. into three grand divisions, the question next in logical order is,