If the poets of the Veda had objected to a pæon quartus ( ̆  ̆  ̆  ̄) at the end of a Gâyatrî, what could have been easier than to change IV, 52, 1, divo adarsĭ dŭhĭtâ̄, into adarsi duhĭtâ̄ dĭvāh? or X, 118, 6, ădâ̄bhy̆ām grĭhăpătīm, into grĭhăpătĭm ădâ̄bhy̆ām?

If an epitritus secundus ( ̄  ̆  ̄  ̄) had been objectionable in the same place, why not say VI, 61, 10, stŏmy̆â̄ bhû̄t sărāsvătî̄, instead of sărāsvătî̄ stŏmy̆â̄ bhû̄t? Why not VIII, 2, 11, rēvāntām hĭ srĭnōmĭ tvâ̄, instead of rēvāntām hĭ tvâ̄ srĭnōmī?

If an ionicus a minore ( ̆  ̆  ̄  ̄) had been excluded from that place, why not say I, 30, 10, gărĭtri̅bhyāh săkhē văso, instead of săkhē văsō gărĭtri̅bhyāh? or I, 41, 7, vărŭnāsyă măhī psărāh, instead of măhī psărō vărŭnāsyā?

It a dispondeus ( ̄  ̄  ̄  ̄) was to be avoided, then V, 68, 3, măhĭ vâ̄m kshătrām dēvēshū, might easily have been replaced by deveshu vâm kshătrām măhī , and VIII, 2, 10, sukrâ âsirām yâ̄kāntē, by sukrâ yâkantă â̄sĭrām.

If no epitritus primus ( ̆  ̄  ̄  ̄) was allowed, why not say VI, 61, 11, nĭdās pâ̄tŭ sărāsvătî̄, instead of sărāsvătî̄ nĭdās pâ̄tū, or VIII, 79, 4, dvēshō yâ̄vî̄r ăghāsyă kīt, instead of yâ̄vî̄r ăghāsyă kīd dvēshāh?

Even the epitritus tertius ( ̄  ̄  ̆  ̄) might easily have been avoided by dropping the augment of apâm in X, 119, 1-13, kuvit somasyâ̄pâ̄m ĭtī. It is, in fact, a variety of less frequent occurrence than the rest, and might possibly be eliminated with some chance of success.

Lastly, the choriambus ( ̄  ̆  ̆  ̄) could have been removed in III, 24, 5, sĭsî̄hĭ nāh sû̄nŭmătāh, by reading sû̄nŭmătāh sĭsî̄hĭ nāh, and in VIII, 2, 31, sănâ̄d ămri̅ktō dăyătē, by reading ămri̅ktō dăyătē sănâ̄t.

But I am afraid the idea that regularity is better than irregularity, and that in the Veda, where there is a possibility, the regular metre is to be restored by means of conjectural emendations, has been so ably advocated by some of the most eminent scholars, that a merely general argument would now be of no avail. I must therefore give as much evidence as I can bring together in support of the contrary opinion; and though the process is a tedious one, the importance of the consequences with regard to Vedic criticism leaves me no alternative. With regard, then, to Seven Gâyatra Vrittas. the final dipodia of Gâyatrî verses, I still hold and maintain, that, although the dijambus is by far the most general metre, the following seven varieties have to be recognised in the poetry of the Veda a:

1.  ̆  ̄  ̆  ̄ , 2.  ̆  ̆  ̆  ̄, 3.  ̄  ̆  ̄  ̄, 4.  ̆  ̆  ̄  ̄, 5.  ̄  ̄  ̄  ̄, 6.  ̆  ̄  ̄  ̄, 7.  ̄  ̄  ̆  ̄, 8.  ̄  ̆  ̆  ̄.