Volume 1 - Sanskrit Web

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Book IV.
LThe fourth book is made up of forty hymns, divided into
eight afiuva^a-groups of five hymns each. The normal length
of each hymn, as assumed by the AnukramanT, is 7 verses ; but
this is in only partial accord with the actual facts. There are
twenty-one hymns of 7 verses each, as against nineteen of more
than 7 verses each. Of these nineteen, ten are of 8 verses each
three are of 9 and three are of 10 ; two are of 12 ;
and one is of
16 verses. The seven hymns which make the Mrgara group
(hymns 23-29) have 7 verses each. And they are followed by a
group of four Rigveda hymns (30-33). The last two hymns of
the book (39-40) have a decided Brahmana-tinge. The entire
book has been translated by Weber, Indische Studien, vol. xviii.
(1898), pages I-I53-J
|_ Weber's statement, that there are twenty-two hymns of 7 verses each and two of 9,
rests on the misprinted number (7, for 9) at the end of hymn 20.J
[_The Anukr. states (at the beginning of its treatment of boolc ii.) that the normal
number of verses is 4 for a hymn of book i., and increases by one for each successive
book of the first five books. That gives us, for
Book i. ii. iii. iv. v., as normal number of
Verses145 678,
respectively.
In accord therewith is the statement of the Anukr. (prefixed to its treatment of book iv.)
that the seven-versed hymn is the norm for this book : brahina jajhanam iti kdndam,
saptarcam sukiain prakrtir, anya vikrtir ity avagachet.\
I. Mystic.
[Vena. — bdrhaspatyam utd "dityaddivatam.
trdistubham: 2,^. bhurij.']
Found in Paipp. v. (in the verse-order 2, i, 3, 4 cd 5 ab, 6, 4 ab 5 cd, 7). Reckoned by
Kaug. (9.1) as one of the hymns of the brhachanti gana, and used in various ceremonies
: with i. 4-6 and other hymns, for the health and welfare, of kine (19. i); for
success in study and victory over opponents in disputation (38. 23 f.) ; at the consummation
of marriage (79. 11 ;
the comm. says, only vs. i) ;
and vs. I on entering upon
Vedic study (r39. 10). These are all the applications in Kaug. that our comm. recognizes;
in other cases where the pratika of vs. i is quoted, the vs. v. 6. i, which is a
repetition of it, is apparently intended : see under hymn v. 6. The editor of Kaug.
regards the rest of the anuvaka, from vs. 2 to the end of h. 5, to be prescribed for
recitation in 139. 11 ; but this seems in itself highly improbable, and the comm. does
not sanction it. In Vait. (14. i), vss. i and 2 are added to \\\^ gharma-hyran. given for
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