It has no reference to any special sacrifice, it contains no technical expressions, it can hardly be called a hymn, in our sense of the word.

It is simply a poem expressing, without any effort, without any display of far-fetched thought or brilliant imagery, the feelings of a man who has watched the approach of the Dawn with mingled delight and awe, and who was moved to give utterance to what he felt in measured language."[44] "But there is a charm in these primitive strains discoverable in no other class of poetry.

Every word retains something of its radical meaning, every epithet tells, every thought, in spite of the most intricate and abrupt expressions, is, if we once disentangle it, true, correct, and complete."[45] The Vedic literature is divided by Muller into four periods, namely, those of the Chhandas, Mantra, Brahmana, and Sutras.

The Chhandas period contains the oldest hymns of the oldest, or Rig-Veda.

To that of the Mantras belong the later hymns of the same Veda.