Ramayana Condensed in the Poet's Own Words /9

FOREWORD
 
vii
 
several verses and fitted together to form
vii
 
several verses and fitted together to form
a new one. But every now and then I

have marvelled to observe how a quarter

has been grafted from one context to

another context far removed but with
every appearance of having always

every appearance of having always
belonged there. Eloquent testimony this

to the research and ingenuity of the com-
piler as well as to the rich copiousness of

piler as well as to the rich copiousness of
the oldest of the word's epics.
 

 
I trust I may be allowed without impro-

priety to bestow a well-merited meed of

praise on the translator. My friend

Vidyasagara Vidyavachaspati Professor

P. P. S. Sastri has had an exceptionally

difficult task. To turn ideas from one
language to another while preserving

language to another while preserving
their spirit and true quality is recognised

as one of the rare triumphs of scholar-

ship. Mr. Sastri has had in this case to

bear in mind the needs of the young

student of Sanskrit. Close conformity is

required, word answering to word and

clause to clause. The voice and mood of

verbs and the forms of sentences, whether

assertive or interrogative, have to be