Table 4. The supplement, book xix., one book | ||||||||||||
In book xix. there are | 15 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 2 | hymns, |
Containing respectively | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | verses. |
In book xix. there are | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | hymns, | Total: 72 hymns. | |||||
Containing respectively | 14 | 15 | 16 | 21 | 30 | verses. | Total: 456 verses.⌋ |
⌊Summary of the four tables.—Table 5.—Extent of AV. Saṁhitā about one half of that of RV.—The totals of hymns and verses of tables 1-4 are summed up in table 5. From this it appears that the number of hymns of the three grand divisions of the Atharva-Veda Saṁhitā is 516 or about one half of that of the Rig-Veda, and that the number of verses is 4,432 or considerably less than one half. If the summation be made to include also the supplement and the parts of book xx. which are peculiar to the AV., the number of hymns amounts to 598 or about three fifths of that of the RV., and the number of verses amounts to 5,038 or about one half of that of the RV. Table 5 follows:
Table 5. Summary of Atharvan hymns and verses | ||||||
Grand division I., | books i.-vii. | contains | 433 | hymns and | 2030 | verses. |
Grand division II., | books viii.-xii., | contains | 45 | hymns and | 1528 | verses. |
Grand division III., | books xiii.-xviii., | contains | 38 | hymns and | 874 | verses. |
Totals for the three grand divisions: | 516 | hymns and | 4432 | verses. | ||
The supplement, | book xix., | contains | 72 | hymns and | 456 | verses. |
Totals for books i.-xix.: | 588 | hymns and | 4888 | verses. | ||
The Kuntāpa-khila of book xx. | contains | 10 | hymns and | 150 | verses. | |
Totals for books i.-xix. and khila: | 595 | hymns and | 5038 | verses.⌋ |
⌊The numbers of tables 1-5 rest on the Berlin edition. The differences between that and the Bombay edition do not affect the amount of text, but only the verse-totals. Even the verse-totals are not affected, but only the hymn-totals (p. 389, l. 10), by the differences in book vii. For the paryāya-hymns, the verse-totals of the Bombay edition amount to 188 more (see p. cxxxvii) than those of the Berlin edition. For the Bombay edition, accordingly, the grand total must be raised (by 188) from 5,038 to 5,226.⌋
⌊First grand division (books i.-vii.): short hymns of miscellaneous subjects.—While the general considerations of length and subject are indeed sufficient for the separation of books i.-xviii. into three grand divisions as defined above, the first division shows yet other signs of being a minor collection apart from the other two. In the first place, the hymns that compose it are mostly genuine charms and imprecations, and wear on the