Page:Atharva-Veda samhita.djvu/154

cxlvi several hymns within any given book. It is clear that the subject has not been at all considered; nor is it at all probable that any regard has been had to the authorship, real or claimed (we have no tradition of any value whatever respecting the "rishis"). Probably only chance or arbitrary choice of the arranger dictated the internal ordering of each book. ⌊On this subject there is indeed little that is positive to be said; but (in order to avoid repetition) I think it best to say that little for each grand division in its proper place under that division: see pages cliv, clvii, and clx.⌋

⌊Distribution of hymns according to length in the three grand divisions.—Tables 1 and 2 and 3.—The distribution of the hymns according to their length throughout the books of the three grand divisions is shown by Whitney's tables 1, 2, and 3, preceding. The numbers rest on the numerations of the Berlin edition, and due reference to the differences of numeration of the Bombay edition is made below at p. cxlvii. A vertical column is devoted to each book and in that column is shown how many hymns of 1 verse, of 2 or 3 or 4 and so on up to 89 verses, there are in that book, by the number horizontally opposite the number of verses indicated in the column headed by the word "contains." To facilitate the summation of the number of hymns and verses in the Atharva-Veda, the last column but one on the right gives the number of hymns of 1 vs., of 2 vss. and so on, in the division concerned, and the last column on the right gives the total number of verses contained in the hymns of 1 vs., of 2 vss. and so on (the total in each line being, of course, an exact multiple of the number preceding in the same line). Accordingly we may read, for example, the sixth line of table 1 as follows: "Book vii. contains 10 hymns of 3 verses and book vi. contains 122. The sum of hymns of 3 verses in the division is 132, and the sum of verses in those hymns is 396."⌋

⌊'''Tables 1 and 2 and 3 for divisions I. and II. and III.'''—These ought properly to come in at this point; but as their form and contents are such that it is desirable to have them stand on two pages that face each other, they have been put (out of their proper place) on pages cxliv and cxlv.⌋

⌊'''Grouping of the hymns of book xix. according to length.—Table 4.'''—Apart from the two hymns, 22 (of 21 verses) and 23 (of 30), which are in divers ways of very exceptional character, it appears that every hymn of this book, if judged simply by its verse-total length, would fall into the first grand division, as being of less than 20 verses. This fact is of critical interest, and is in keeping with the character of book xix. as an after-gleaning, and in particular an after-gleaning of such material as would properly fall into the first grand division (cf. p. 895, ¶2). The table: