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Traces of Short ě and ò in Rgveda
301
* 1. In the lines of eight syllables :
Syllable
No.
Remark
Long
Doubtful
2nd 6
7
5
2
3rd"?
5 have the third short 10 have the 4th short 1 has the second short
anceps cf. the note below
111
4th 18
3
5th
6th 19
i 45
42
Note :- Apparently the 18 cases in the fifth syllable go against the rule that the 5th should be short. But a careful consideration of these cases reveals an important fact. Of these, 16 have the scheme (- (U) -) : I. 17. 2a; III. 13. 2d : V. 22. 3c; V. 35. la; V. 65. 3a; VI. 14. 13a; VIII. 11. 6a; VIII. 12. 19a; VIII. 23. 21b; VIH. 27. 13a; VIII. 27.15d; VIII. 30. 3a; VIII. 33. 6a; VIII. 33. 10b; VIII. 53. 7a; VIII. 91. 7a. Two have the scheme (- (-) U -); I. 37.13b; V. 6a where the elided a- is long by position. In actual writing, of course, the foot gives the appearance of (-U - ) which is the normal ending of the octosyllabic lines. A careful reading of all these lines makes it highly probable that the end was so pronounced that the a- was really absorbed in the preceding long syllable, which thus occupied the place of both the 5th and 6th syllables of the lines.
II. In lines of eleven syllables :
1st20
3
2nd21
3rd 22
6 have the third short 1 has the second short
before caesura before caesura
4th 23
5th24
6th 25 7th 26
8th27
