chiis inter se aequalibus, alterum undenarum syllabarum, alterum
duodenarum, hunc in modum:

[-)] [-] [)] [-] | [-] [)] [)] [-] | [)] [-] [-)]
[)] [-] [)] [-] | [-] [)] [)] [-] | [)] [-] [)] [-)]

Cuius generis versus in primo et secundo Rameidos libro nusquam nisi ad
finem capitum apposita inveniuntur, et huic loco unice sunt accommodata,
quasi peroratio, lyricis numeris assurgens, quo magis canorae cadant
clausulae: sicut musici in concentibus extremis omnium vocum
instrumentorumque ictu fortiore aures percellere amant. Igitur disticha
illa non ante divisionem per capita illatam addi potuerunt: hanc autem
grammaticis deberi argumento est ipse recensionum dissensus, manifesto
inde ortus, quod singuli editores in ea constituenda suo quisque iudicio
usi sunt; praeterquam quod non credibile est, poetam artis suae peritum
narrationem continuam in membra tam minuta dissecuisse. Porro discolor est
dictio: magniloquentia affectatur, sed nimis turgida illa atque effusa,
nec sententiarum pondere satis suffulta. Denique nihil fere novi affertur:
ampli ficantur prius dicta, rarius aliquid ex capite sequente anticipatur.
Si quis appendices hosce legendo transiliat, sentiet slocum ultimum cum
primo capitis proximi apte coagmentatum, nec sine vi quadam inde avulsum.
Eiusmodi versus exhibet utraque recensio, sed modo haec modo illa plures
paucioresve numero, et lectio interdum magnopere variat."

"The narrative of Rama's exile in the jungle is one of the most obscure
portions of the Ramayana, inasmuch as it is difficult to discover any
trace of the original tradition, or any illustration of actual life and
manners, beyond the artificial life of self-mortification and selfdenial
said to have been led by the Brahman sages of olden time. At the same
time, however, the story throws some light upon the significance of the
poem, and upon the character in which the Brahmanical author desired to
represent Rama; and consequently it deserves more serious consideration
than the nature of the subject-matter would otherwise seem to imply.

"According to the Ramayana, the hero Rama spent more than thirteen years
of his exile in wandering amongst the different Brahmanical settlements,
which appear to have been scattered over the country between the Ganges
and the Godaveri; his wanderings extending from the hill of Chitra-kuta in
Bundelkund, to the modern town of Nasik on the western side of India, near
the source of the Godaveri river, and about