batch.motif.buddhist-jataka-birth-stories-rhys-davids-gutenberg-l5434-l5543
---
record_id: batch.motif.buddhist-jataka-birth-stories-rhys-davids-gutenberg-l5434-l5543
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/buddhist-birth-stories-volume-1-rhys-davids.md
passage_locator:
label: TABLE VII. / THE BODISATS. / TABLE VIII. / THE DISTANT EPOCH.; lines 5434-5543
start: '5434'
end: '5543'
translation: Buddhist birth stories; or, Jataka tales, Volume 1
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: At the Bodisat's birth in Lumbini, several persons, the royal horse, the
Bo-tree, and treasure vases come into being. Angels announce in Tāvatiŋsa heaven
that Suddhodana's son will become a Buddha under the Bo-tree. The ascetic Kāḷa
Devala descends, recognizes the child as a future Buddha, pays homage after the
infant places his feet on the ascetic's matted hair, and weeps because he will
not live to hear the Buddha's teaching. He directs his nephew Nālaka to renounce
the world; Nālaka becomes an ascetic, later hears the way of salvation from the
enlightened Tathāgata, attains Arahatship, and dies. On the fifth day, the Bodisat's
naming rite is performed, and 108 Brahmans are asked to read the child's signs.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: At the time the Bodisat is born in the Lumbini grove, named persons, the royal
horse, the great Bo-tree, and four treasure vases also come into being and are
called the Connatal Ones.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Choirs of angels in Tāvatiŋsa heaven rejoice and say that a son born to King
Suddhodana in Kapilavastu will become a Buddha while seated under the Bo-tree.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: The ascetic Kāḷa Devala, described as Suddhodana's confidential adviser and
as having passed through eight stages of religious attainment, is in Tāvatiŋsa
heaven and asks the angels why they rejoice.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:4
text: The angels tell Kāḷa Devala that Suddhodana's son will become a Buddha and
found a Kingdom of Righteousness.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:5
text: Kāḷa Devala descends from the angel-world to the king's house and asks to
see the newborn son.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:6
text: When brought to salute the ascetic, the future Buddha turns his feet around
and plants them on the ascetic's matted hair.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:7
text: The ascetic does homage to the Bodisat, and the king also does homage to his
son after seeing the wonder.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:8
text: Kāḷa Devala examines marks on the Bodisat's body, concludes that he will certainly
become a Buddha, smiles, then weeps because he will not live to see him as Buddha.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:9
text: Kāḷa Devala tells the people that no misfortune will befall the child and
that he will assuredly become a Buddha.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:10
text: Kāḷa Devala tells his nephew Nālaka that the child will become a Buddha in
thirty-five years and instructs him to give up the world that day.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:11
text: Nālaka, though born into great wealth, takes yellow clothing and an earthenware
pot, shaves his head, puts on robes, makes a vow for the sake of the greatest
Being upon earth, and goes to the Himālaya mountains to live as a monk.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:12
text: After the Tathāgata attains complete Enlightenment, Nālaka hears the way of
salvation from him, returns to the Himālayas, reaches Arahatship, and dies near
a Golden Hill after seven more months.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:13
text: On the fifth day, the Bodisat's head is bathed for the naming rite, the king's
house is perfumed and decorated, milk-rice is prepared, and 108 Brahmans are honored
and asked to recognize the child's signs.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Bodisat / future Buddha / Tathāgata
description: Newborn son of Suddhodana, born in Lumbini, recognized as one who will
become a Buddha seated under the Bo-tree; later referred to as the Tathāgata after
attaining complete Enlightenment.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Suddhodana
description: King of Kapilavastu and father of the newborn son; he orders the child
brought to the ascetic and later does homage to his son.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Mother of Rāhula
description: A lady named as coming into being at the same time as the Bodisat.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Channa
description: The attendant named as coming into being at the same time as the Bodisat.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Kāḷudāyi
description: The minister named as coming into being at the same time as the Bodisat.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Kanthaka
description: The royal horse named as coming into being at the same time as the
Bodisat.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Choirs of angels in Tāvatiŋsa heaven
description: Heavenly beings who rejoice and announce the birth and future Buddhahood
of Suddhodana's son.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: Kāḷa Devala
description: Ascetic, confidential adviser of King Suddhodana, and religious adept
who recognizes the Bodisat's future Buddhahood and advises Nālaka to renounce.
role_refs:
- role:6
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: fig:9
name_or_label: People of both towns / observers
description: Collective group who take the Bodisat to Kapilavastu and later ask
whether misfortune will befall the child after seeing Kāḷa Devala weep.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:5
- id: fig:10
name_or_label: Nālaka
description: Kāḷa Devala's nephew, born into great wealth, who renounces the world,
later hears the way of salvation from the enlightened Tathāgata, reaches Arahatship,
and dies near a Golden Hill.
role_refs:
- role:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: fig:11
name_or_label: One hundred and eight Brahmans
description: Brahmans who have mastered the three Vedas and are invited to the king's
house during the naming rite to recognize the child's signs.
role_refs:
- role:10
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
roles:
- id: role:1
label: Bodisat and future Buddha
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The passage repeatedly says the child will become a Buddha and later calls
him the Tathāgata after complete Enlightenment.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:5
- ev:7
- id: role:2
label: Miraculous or wonder-working child
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: As an infant, he places his feet on the ascetic's matted hair, prompting
the ascetic and the king to do homage.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:3
label: Royal father
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Suddhodana is named as king and as the one to whom the son is born.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
- id: role:4
label: Connatal companion or attendant
assigned_to:
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
basis: These figures are named among those who come into being at the same time
as the Bodisat and are called Connatal Ones.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:5
label: Heavenly heralds
assigned_to:
- fig:7
basis: The angels rejoice and announce the child's future Buddhahood and teaching.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: role:6
label: Ascetic seer
assigned_to:
- fig:8
basis: Kāḷa Devala examines the marks on the child's body and foresees his certain
Buddhahood.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: role:7
label: Renunciation adviser
assigned_to:
- fig:8
basis: Kāḷa Devala instructs Nālaka to give up the world because the child will
become a Buddha.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: role:8
label: Public witnesses
assigned_to:
- fig:9
basis: The people transport the Bodisat and ask about the meaning of the ascetic's
weeping.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:5
- id: role:9
label: Renunciant disciple-to-be
assigned_to:
- fig:10
basis: Nālaka renounces in anticipation of seeing the future Buddha and later receives
teaching from the enlightened Tathāgata.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: role:10
label: Brahman sign-readers
assigned_to:
- fig:11
basis: The Brahmans are summoned and asked to recognize the signs of what the child
should be.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: Bo-tree
literal_form: The great Bo-tree, born at the same time as the Bodisat, under which
the child is foretold to become a Buddha.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs:
- tree
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: sym:2
label: Treasure vases
literal_form: Four vases full of treasure, described as two, four, six, and eight
miles in size, born at the same time as the Bodisat.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:3
label: Tāvatiŋsa heaven
literal_form: The angel-world where choirs of angels rejoice and where Kāḷa Devala
rests before descending to the king's house.
associated_figures:
- fig:7
- fig:8
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: sym:4
label: Feet on matted hair
literal_form: The infant future Buddha's feet placed on Kāḷa Devala's matted hair.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:8
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:5
label: Renunciant equipment and appearance
literal_form: Yellow clothing, an earthenware pot, shaved head, robes, and a begging
bowl carried in a bag.
associated_figures:
- fig:10
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: sym:6
label: Himālaya mountains
literal_form: The mountains to which Nālaka goes to live as a monk and to which
he later returns after hearing the way of salvation.
associated_figures:
- fig:10
taxonomy_refs:
- mountain
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: sym:7
label: Milk-rice at naming rite
literal_form: Rice well cooked in milk prepared for the ritual gathering at the
king's house.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:11
taxonomy_refs:
- milk
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: sym:8
label: Number 108
literal_form: One hundred and eight Brahmans invited for the naming rite and sign-reading.
associated_figures:
- fig:11
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: sym:9
label: Golden Hill
literal_form: A Golden Hill near which Nālaka dies after reaching Arahatship.
associated_figures:
- fig:10
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Birth and connatal emergence
summary: The Bodisat is born in Lumbini, and several persons, the royal horse, the
Bo-tree, and four treasure vases come into being at the same time.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Heavenly announcement
summary: Angels in Tāvatiŋsa heaven rejoice over the birth and announce that Suddhodana's
son will become a Buddha under the Bo-tree and found a Kingdom of Righteousness.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:7
- fig:8
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: scene:3
label: Ascetic homage to the child
summary: Kāḷa Devala descends to the king's house to see the child; the infant places
his feet on the ascetic's matted hair, and the ascetic and king do homage.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:8
symbol_refs:
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: scene:4
label: Prophecy and lament
summary: Kāḷa Devala reads the marks on the Bodisat's body, confirms that he will
become a Buddha, smiles at the wonder, and weeps because he will not live to see
him as Buddha.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:8
- fig:9
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: scene:5
label: Nālaka's renunciation and later attainment
summary: Kāḷa Devala tells Nālaka to renounce; Nālaka takes robes and ascetic equipment,
goes to the Himālayas, later hears the way of salvation from the enlightened Tathāgata,
attains Arahatship, and dies near a Golden Hill.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:8
- fig:10
symbol_refs:
- sym:5
- sym:6
- sym:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: scene:6
label: Naming rite and sign-reading
summary: On the fifth day the Bodisat's head is bathed, the king's house is perfumed
and decorated, milk-rice is prepared, and 108 Brahmans are invited to read the
child's signs.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:11
symbol_refs:
- sym:7
- sym:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: Auspicious sacred birth with heavenly proclamation
taxonomy_refs:
- sacred_birth
basis: The child's birth is accompanied by connatal beings and treasure vases, and
angels rejoice and proclaim his future Buddhahood.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
confidence: high
cautions: The passage is focused on Buddhist hagiographic birth signs rather than
a generic birth tale alone.
- id: motif:2
label: Miraculous destined child recognized by a seer
taxonomy_refs:
- miraculous_child
basis: The infant performs a wonder involving the ascetic's matted hair, receives
homage, and is identified through bodily marks as certainly destined for Buddhahood.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:8
confidence: high
cautions: The miracle is brief and embedded in a recognition scene.
- id: motif:3
label: Enlightenment tree linked to destiny
taxonomy_refs:
- sacred_tree_axis
basis: The great Bo-tree comes into being with the Bodisat, and the child's future
Buddhahood is repeatedly associated with being seated under that tree.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage marks the tree as sacred and destiny-linked, but it does not
explicitly describe an axis mundi or world-center function.
- id: motif:4
label: Renunciant departure prompted by prophecy
taxonomy_refs:
- departure
- initiation
basis: Nālaka gives up wealth, takes ascetic clothing and equipment, vows himself
for the sake of the future Buddha, and goes to the Himālayas to live as a monk.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
confidence: medium
cautions: This motif concerns Nālaka rather than the main Bodisat birth narrative.
- id: motif:5
label: Salvific teaching and perfected wisdom
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: After the Tathāgata's enlightenment, Nālaka hears the way of salvation, returns
to the Himālayas, and reaches Arahatship.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage summarizes the attainment without giving the content of the
teaching.
comparison_claims:
- id: claim:1
claim: The passage can be compared at the motif-family level to sacred birth narratives,
because the birth is accompanied by simultaneous auspicious manifestations and
heavenly proclamation of future greatness.
claim_level: same_motif
target: sacred_birth motif family
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: medium
limitations: This is a taxonomy-level comparison only; the passage does not itself
compare the story to non-Buddhist birth narratives.
- id: claim:2
claim: The infant recognition episode fits a miraculous-child pattern in which a
seer recognizes an extraordinary child through signs and wonders.
claim_level: same_motif
target: miraculous_child motif family
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:8
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: medium
limitations: The passage gives only a short infancy wonder and sign-reading scene,
not a full cycle of childhood marvels.
- id: claim:3
claim: Nālaka's response to the prophecy functions like a renunciant departure or
initiation pattern, moving from wealth to robes, vows, mountain dwelling, and
later salvific instruction.
claim_level: same_function
target: departure and initiation motif families
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: medium
limitations: The departure belongs to a secondary figure, not to the Bodisat in
this passage.
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 5434-5440
quote_or_summary: At the Bodisat's birth in Lumbini, the mother of Rāhula, Channa,
Kāḷudāyi, Kanthaka, the Bo-tree, and four treasure vases also come into being
and are called the Connatal Ones.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/buddhist-birth-stories-volume-1-rhys-davids.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary allowed.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 5442-5447
quote_or_summary: People take the Bodisat to Kapilavastu; angels in Tāvatiŋsa heaven
rejoice and say that Suddhodana's son will become a Buddha seated under the Bo-tree.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/buddhist-birth-stories-volume-1-rhys-davids.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary allowed.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 5449-5462
quote_or_summary: Kāḷa Devala rests in Tāvatiŋsa heaven, asks the angels why they
rejoice, and hears that Suddhodana's son will become a Buddha and found a Kingdom
of Righteousness.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/buddhist-birth-stories-volume-1-rhys-davids.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary allowed.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 5464-5477
quote_or_summary: Kāḷa Devala descends to the king's house; the child is brought
to salute him, but the future Buddha places his feet on the ascetic's matted hair,
after which the ascetic and king do homage.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/buddhist-birth-stories-volume-1-rhys-davids.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary allowed.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 5479-5501
quote_or_summary: The ascetic foresees across ages, reads the marks on the Bodisat's
body, confirms he will become a Buddha, smiles, then weeps because he will die
before seeing him as Buddha.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/buddhist-birth-stories-volume-1-rhys-davids.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary allowed.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: lines 5503-5523
quote_or_summary: Kāḷa Devala tells his nephew Nālaka that the child will become
a Buddha in thirty-five years and urges him to renounce; Nālaka takes yellow clothes,
a pot, shaves his head, takes robes, vows, and goes to the Himālayas as a monk.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/buddhist-birth-stories-volume-1-rhys-davids.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary allowed.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: lines 5525-5531
quote_or_summary: After the Tathāgata attains complete Enlightenment, Nālaka hears
the way of salvation, returns to the Himālayas, reaches Arahatship, and dies near
a Golden Hill after seven more months.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/buddhist-birth-stories-volume-1-rhys-davids.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary allowed.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: lines 5533-5543
quote_or_summary: On the fifth day, the Bodisat's head is bathed for naming; the
house is perfumed and decorated, milk-rice is prepared, and 108 Brahmans mastered
in the three Vedas are asked to recognize the child's signs.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/buddhist/project-gutenberg/buddhist-birth-stories-volume-1-rhys-davids.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary allowed.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: medium
notes: Literal extraction is strong for named figures, actions, and ritual details.
Motif labels are limited to the supplied taxonomy and should be reviewed, especially
the sacred_tree_axis and comparison-claim assignments.
reviewer_status:
status: needs_review
reviewer: ''
reviewed_at: ''
notes: Machine-generated draft from OpenAI Batch; not human-reviewed.
extracted_by: openai_batch:gpt-5.5
extracted_at: '2026-04-28'
notes: |-
Only the supplied passage and metadata were used. Some entities, such as the Bo-tree and treasure vases, are treated as symbols rather than figures.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:buddhist-jataka-birth-stories-rhys-davids-gutenberg__l5434-l5543
passage_sha256=4d33536d144cfa1ffeb750626018ac87e6a07627d58b4a141fb3b20a0aa38032