Page:Atharva-Veda samhita.djvu/151

Rh What governs the arrangement of the books within each division? This question will be discussed in detail under each of the three divisions (cf. pages cxlix ff., clvii, clix); here, accordingly, only more general statements are called for. Those statements concern the verse-norms of the hymns for each book, and the amount of text.⌋

⌊The normal length of the hymns for each of the several books.—For the first grand division these norms play an important part in determining the arrangement of the books within that division, as appears later, p. cxlix. For the second grand division it is true that the Pañcapaṭalikā assumes a normal hymn-length for each book (p. cxxxix); but that seems to have no traceable connection with the arrangement of the books within that division (p. clv). For the third, no such norm is even assumed (p. cxl, near end).⌋

⌊The amount of text in each book.—Table.—This matter, in its relation to the order of the books, I must consider briefly here for the three grand divisions together, although it will be necessary to revert to it later (pages clii, clvii, clix). Since our saṁhitā is of mingled verse and prose, it is not easy (except with a Hindu ms., which I have not at hand) to estimate the precise amount of text to be apportioned to each separate book. If we take as a basis, however, the printed page of the Berlin text, and count blank fractions of pages, the 352 pages are apportioned among the 18 books as follows:

From this it appears that, for division I., the amount of text is a continuously ascending one for each of the books except the last (book vii.); and that, for division III., it is a continuously descending one for each of the books except (in like manner) the last (book xviii.); and that, although the verse-totals of the Bombay edition for the books of division II. form a series (see p. clvii, line 11) which ascends continuously (like that of I.) for all books except (once again) the last, the books of division II. are, on the whole, most remarkable for their approximate equality of length.⌋

Arrangement of the hymns within any given book.—While the general guiding principles of arrangement of the books within the division are thus in large measure and evidently the external ones of verse-norms and amount of text, it is not easy to see what has directed the ordering of the