Page:Atharva-Veda samhita.djvu/165

Rh ⌊Order of books within the division: negative or insignificant conclusions.—If we consider, first, the amount of text in pages for each book, namely 22, 21, 27, 25, 22, the series appears to have no connection with the order of the books; on the contrary, the books are, on the whole, remarkable for their approximate equality of length. The case is similar, secondly, with the hymn-totals of the Bombay edition, 15, 15, 10, 12, and 11. Thirdly, the verse-totals for each of the five books, according to the numeration of the Berlin edition, are 259, 302, 350, 313, and 304 (see above, p. cxliv), a sequence in which we can trace no orderly progression. On the other hand, fourthly, if we take the verse-totals of the Bombay edition, to wit, 293, 313, 350, 367, and 304, we see that the first four books, viii.-xi., are indeed arranged, like books i.-vi. (p. clii), on a continuously ascending arithmetical scale. Furthermore and fifthly, if, for the verse-totals of each of the five books, we make the (very easy) substitution of the average verse-totals of the hymns of each book, we obtain again a series, to wit, 29.3, 31.3, 35.0, 36.7, and 60.8, which progresses constantly in one direction, namely upward, and through all the five books.⌋

Arrangement of the hymns within any given book of this division.—⌊From the table on p. clvi it would appear that the individual hymns are not disposed within the book with any reference to length. It may, however, be by design rather than accident that the only hymn with the smallest number of verses in this division is put at the beginning, and that the longest is put last.⌋ The arrangement in this division, like that in the first, shows no signs of a systematic reference to the subjects treated of, although (as in division I.: p. civ, top), in more than one instance, two hymns of kindred character are placed together: thus viii. 1 & 2; 3 & 4; 9 & 10; ix. 4 & 5; 9 & 10; x. 7 & 8; 9 & 10; xi. 9 & 10; xii. 4 & 5.

⌊'''Possible reference to this division in hymn xix. 23.'—Such reference, I suspect, must be sought in verse 18, if anywhere, and in the two words mahat-kāṇḍā́ya svā́hā'', 'to the division of great [hymns], hail!' See p. 931 ¶7, and the note to vs. 18.⌋

⌊Postscript.—Such was my view when writing the introduction to xix. 23. Even then, however, I stated (p. 932, line 12) that verses 21 and 22 were not accounted for. Meantime, a new observation bears upon vs. 21.⌋

⌊Immediately after the passage referred to at p. cxlviii, foot-note, the Major Anukr., at the beginning of its treatment of book viii., proceeds: 'Now are set forth the seers and divinities and meters of the mantras of