# Dohās in the Rāmacaritamānasa **Presenter**: [[Ryūtarō TAKEZAKI]] **Session**: [[Session 2. Translating Metre & the Mind]] **Abstract**: In the *Rāmacaritamānasa*, each stanza is typically concluded by a *Dohā*. In this paper, I collect all such *Dohās* and analyse their distribution and their internal structure, with the following main results: - A Dohā in the *Rāmacaritamānasa* consists of two sets of 13/12 + 11 morae. - 12-moraic lines of Dohā are found concentrated in and around Kāṇḍa 1, 184–205 (Rāma’s childhood) and dispersed throughout Kāṇḍas 3–7. Thus, we have to somewhat emend the statement made by Snell 2023 Reading the *Rāmcaritmānas*, p. 82. - The last two morae of the 13/12-moraic line is overwhelmingly, though not entirely, 1 + 1 mora. - The 8 morae constituting the first half of the 13- or 11- moraic lines can be analysed as 4 + 4 or 3 + 3 + 2 morae, thus confirming Ken Bryant’s principle. - The stylistic difference of Kāṇḍas 3–7 from Kāṇḍas 1–2 as seen in the distribution of 12-moraic Dohā lines seems to be corroborated also by the following facts: Firstly, not only lakhana- “Lakṣmaṇa” and rāvara- / rāura- / raura- (cf. Snell 2023, pp. XV, 20) but also sī̆yā̆- “Sītā” are found only in Kāṇḍas 1–2. Secondly, Caubolā lines occur among the Ardhālīs of Caupāī only in Kāṇḍas 3–7. Since 12-moraic Dohā lines (Snell 2023, p. 82) as well as Caubolās mixed in Ardhālīs are in line with the metrical style of the earlier epics such as Padmāvata, this may suggest that Tulasīdāsa, in the later phase of his composition (Kāṇḍas 3–7), started to resort to a more traditional metrical style, abandoning his former metrical strictness typically seen in Kāṇḍa 2. *Keywords*: Dohā, Rāmacaritamānasa, Awadhi