batch.motif.persian-sadi-gulistan-ross-gutenberg-l2541-l2584
---
record_id: batch.motif.persian-sadi-gulistan-ross-gutenberg-l2541-l2584
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/persian/project-gutenberg/gulistan-sadi-ross.md
passage_locator:
label: XLVIII / CHAPTER III / XVIII / XXVII; lines 2541-2584
start: '2541'
end: '2584'
translation: The Persian Literature, Volume 2, The Gulistan
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: A thief mocks a mendicant for begging, and the mendicant replies that begging
is better than theft and punishment. A dervish withdraws into a cave and lives
independently of worldly power. A sovereign invites the holy man to eat with him;
the holy man accepts because it accords with prophetic tradition, later honors
the king as his guest, and explains the duty of serving one whom one has seated
on one’s carpet. The passage closes by listing forms of ascetic restraint, while
noting the difficulty of restraining hunger.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: A thief asks a mendicant whether he is ashamed to hold out his hand for a
small amount of silver.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: The mendicant replies that holding out the hand for one grain of silver is
better than having it cut off for theft.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: A dervish is described as having withdrawn into a cave and cut off communication
with the world.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: The dervish is described as viewing emperors and kings without awe or reverence.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:5
text: The text states that whoever opens the door of mendicity must remain a beggar
until death.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:6
text: A sovereign sends a message inviting the holy man to partake of his bread
and salt as a guest.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:7
text: The holy man accepts the invitation because accepting it accords with prophetic
law and tradition.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:8
text: The holy man rises, embraces the king, shows him kindness, and offers compliments
after the king comes to apologize.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:9
text: A companion asks why the holy man showed such condescending kindness to the
king.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:10
text: The holy man answers that it is proper to stand up and serve one whom one
has seated on one’s carpet or made one’s guest.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:11
text: The passage lists sensory and bodily comforts the ascetic can forgo, including
music, gardens, flowers, a soft pillow, a bed partner, and riding an ambling horse.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:12
text: The passage states that the belly is the one thing he cannot keep under without
food.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: thief
description: A thief who criticizes the mendicant’s begging.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: mendicant
description: A beggar who answers that begging is preferable to punishment for theft.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: dervish / shaikh / holy man / abid
description: A religious ascetic who withdraws into a cave, accepts a royal invitation,
and explains the duties of hospitality.
role_refs:
- role:3
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: sovereign / king
description: A ruler who invites the holy man to partake of his bread and salt and
later visits him to apologize for causing trouble.
role_refs:
- role:5
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: shaikh's companion
description: A companion who questions the holy man’s unusual kindness toward the
king.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
roles:
- id: role:1
label: critic of begging
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The thief asks the mendicant whether begging for a small amount of silver
is shameful.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:2
label: moral respondent
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The mendicant replies with a contrast between begging and having the hand
cut off for theft.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:3
label: ascetic renunciant
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The dervish withdraws into a cave and is later described as able to forgo
many comforts.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:5
- id: role:4
label: teacher of hospitality conduct
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The holy man explains that one should stand and serve a person made one’s
guest.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:5
label: royal inviter
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: The sovereign sends a message inviting the holy man to partake of bread and
salt.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:6
label: honored guest
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: The holy man treats the king as one whom he has seated on his carpet or made
his guest.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:7
label: questioning companion
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: The companion asks why the shaikh showed unusual kindness to the king.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: cave of withdrawal
literal_form: cave
associated_figures:
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs:
- cave
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:2
label: bread and salt of hospitality
literal_form: bread and salt
associated_figures:
- fig:3
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:3
label: guest's carpet
literal_form: carpet
associated_figures:
- fig:3
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:4
label: unruly belly
literal_form: belly requiring food
associated_figures:
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Thief and mendicant exchange
summary: A thief reproaches a mendicant for begging; the mendicant replies that
begging is preferable to theft and mutilating punishment.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Dervish in the cave
summary: A dervish withdraws into a cave, closes himself off from worldly society,
and is portrayed as independent before rulers.
figure_refs:
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: scene:3
label: Royal invitation and guest duty
summary: A sovereign invites the holy man to share bread and salt; the holy man
accepts, later honors the king, and explains the duty of serving one’s guest.
figure_refs:
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: scene:4
label: Ascetic restraints and hunger
summary: The passage lists comforts that the ascetic can renounce, but concludes
that hunger cannot be subdued without food.
figure_refs:
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: Practical moral wisdom through brief dialogue
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: The mendicant’s reply turns the thief’s criticism into a concise moral comparison
between begging and punishment for theft.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
confidence: high
cautions: The taxonomy reference is broad; the passage gives an ethical maxim rather
than a mythic narrative.
- id: motif:2
label: Ascetic withdrawal from worldly power
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: The dervish withdraws into a cave, cuts off communication with the world,
and is described as independent before emperors and kings.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage presents didactic ascetic conduct; no supernatural quest or
explicit initiation is narrated.
- id: motif:3
label: Hospitality obligation and reciprocal honor
taxonomy_refs:
- sacred_exchange
basis: The holy man accepts the ruler’s invitation under prophetic tradition and
later explains that a guest should be stood up for and served.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
confidence: medium
cautions: The sacred dimension is limited to the explicit reference to sunnat; the
exchange is social and ethical rather than mythic.
- id: motif:4
label: Renunciation limited by bodily need
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: The passage says the ascetic can forgo many pleasures and comforts, but cannot
subdue the belly without food.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
confidence: high
cautions: This is a didactic observation about bodily necessity rather than a developed
symbolic myth.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 2541-2547 / XXVII
quote_or_summary: A thief asks a mendicant whether he is ashamed to beg for a barleycorn
of silver; the mendicant replies that begging for one grain is better than having
the hand cut off for one and a half dang.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/persian/project-gutenberg/gulistan-sadi-ross.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 2549-2558 / XXIX opening
quote_or_summary: A dervish has withdrawn into a cave, shut off communication with
the world, and looks upon emperors and kings without awe; the passage praises
contentment and independence over covetousness and mendicity.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/persian/project-gutenberg/gulistan-sadi-ross.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 2560-2566 / royal invitation
quote_or_summary: A sovereign invites the holy man to partake of his bread and salt
as a guest; the holy man accepts because such acceptance accords with the sunnat,
or prophetic law and tradition.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/persian/project-gutenberg/gulistan-sadi-ross.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 2566-2576 / king’s visit and explanation
quote_or_summary: The king visits to apologize; the holy man rises, embraces him,
and shows kindness. A companion asks why, and the holy man answers that one should
stand up and serve one whom one has seated on one’s carpet or made one’s guest.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/persian/project-gutenberg/gulistan-sadi-ross.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 2578-2584 / ascetic restraints
quote_or_summary: The passage says the ascetic can avoid music, gardens, flowers,
soft bedding, a bed partner, and riding, but cannot keep the belly under control
without food.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/persian/project-gutenberg/gulistan-sadi-ross.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: uncertain
notes: Literal extraction is straightforward from the supplied passage. Motif labels
are broad and didactic rather than strongly mythological; no comparison claims
are made because the passage itself does not support cross-text comparison.
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: |-
Used only the supplied passage and metadata; comparison_claims left empty because no explicit comparative claim is supported by the passage.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:persian-sadi-gulistan-ross-gutenberg__l2541-l2584
passage_sha256=00454ed41cc66e89e41fd6d055e39bbc6e989397a97b5fd9f55dd92d0ea25dd6