batch.motif.hindu-ramayana-griffith-gutenberg-l15959-l16110
---
record_id: batch.motif.hindu-ramayana-griffith-gutenberg-l15959-l16110
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
passage_locator:
label: Canto XXVIII. The Dangers Of The Wood. / Canto XXX. The Triumph Of Love.
/ Canto XXXII. The Gift Of The Treasures. / Canto XXXVII. The Coats Of Bark.;
lines 15959-16110
start: '15959'
end: '16110'
translation: The Ramayan of Valmiki
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: As thus the son of Raghu went / Forth for his dreary banishment
summary: Sita, Rama, and Lakshman board a chariot driven by Sumantra and leave Ayodhya
for Rama’s banishment. The citizens lament and try to delay the chariot. Dasharatha
and Rama’s mother grieve intensely; the king orders the chariot to stop while
Rama orders it onward. Sumantra obeys Rama and drives away as the royal parents
continue watching.
language: English
quote_policy: quoted
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Sita ascends the chariot after completing her toilet task; Rama and Lakshman
also take places in the gold-adorned chariot.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: The king has given Sita robes and precious ornaments for following her husband.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: The brothers place nets, hunting weapons, warlike arms, mail, a leathern basket,
and a spade in the chariot.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:4
text: Sumantra drives the chariot horses, which are described as swift as the rushing
wind.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:5
text: Ayodhya is filled with tumult and lament as Rama goes forth into banishment.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:6
text: The citizens run to the chariot, cling before and behind it, weep, and ask
Sumantra to slow the horses so they can look on Rama again.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:7
text: The citizens praise Sita for remaining beside Rama like a shadow and praise
Lakshman for not swerving from duty.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:8
text: Dasharatha comes out surrounded by mournful wives because he wants to see
his son once more.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:9
text: Rama tells Sumantra to drive away quickly, while the people call for the chariot
to stay.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:10
text: The dust from the chariot wheels is described as being laid by tears from
those filling the road.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:11
text: Dasharatha falls to the ground under grief, compared to a tall tree cut at
the root.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:12
text: Rama looks back and sees his father lying with failing limbs and his mother
following him, but he cannot meet his mother’s look because he is pressed by duty.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:13
text: Rama’s mother tries to run to the car, crying out to Sita, Lakshman, and her
child.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:14
text: The king commands the chariot to stop, while Rama commands it to continue
onward.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:15
text: Sumantra is mentally divided between the king’s and Rama’s opposing commands,
but ultimately dismisses the crowd and urges the horses to their swiftest speed
at Rama’s behest.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:16
text: The king and queen continue to keep their eyes fixed on their son as he departs.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Sita
description: Described as best of womankind and Videha’s pride; she follows her
husband and boards the chariot.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Rama
description: The son of Raghu and darling of Ikshvaku’s race; he departs for banishment
and orders Sumantra to drive onward.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Lakshman
description: Rama’s brother, described as true and bold; he boards the chariot and
is praised for duty toward Rama.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Sumantra
description: The charioteer who drives the horses and obeys Rama’s command to continue
despite the people’s and king’s calls to stop.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:4
- ev:7
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Dasharatha
description: The king and Rama’s father; he comes out to see his son, grieves, commands
the chariot to stay, and falls under grief.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Rama’s mother / the queen
description: Rama’s mother follows the departing chariot, cries out to Sita, Lakshman,
and her child, and keeps her eyes on her son.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Citizens of Ayodhya
description: Young and old people of the city who rush after the chariot, weep,
call to Sumantra, and lament Rama’s departure.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: Royal women / mournful wives
description: Mournful wives and dames surrounding the king, weeping as he comes
out to see Rama.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
roles:
- id: role:1
label: departing banished prince
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Rama is said to go forth for dreary banishment and repeatedly orders the
chariot onward.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: role:2
label: wife accompanying husband
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Sita receives ornaments for following her husband and is praised for remaining
beside him.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- id: role:3
label: loyal brother and attendant
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: Lakshman accompanies Rama and is praised for not swerving from duty while
tending Rama.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- id: role:4
label: charioteer under conflicting commands
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: Sumantra is told by the king to stop and by Rama to go on; he obeys Rama
and urges the horses onward.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: role:5
label: grieving royal father
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: Dasharatha comes to see his son, commands the chariot to stay, and collapses
under grief.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: role:6
label: grieving mother
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: Rama’s mother follows the chariot, cries out to her child, and is compared
to a cow seeking her calf.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: role:7
label: lamenting urban community
assigned_to:
- fig:7
basis: The city’s people run after the chariot, weep, and call for delay so they
can see Rama.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: role:8
label: royal mourners
assigned_to:
- fig:8
basis: Mournful wives and dames surround the king and weep as Rama departs.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: solar golden chariot
literal_form: A chariot described as brilliant as the sun and adorned with gold.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:2
label: forest and martial equipment
literal_form: Nets, weapons of the chase, arms, mail, a leathern basket, and a spade
placed in the chariot.
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:3
label: tears and water imagery
literal_form: Torrents from citizens’ eyes, streams laying the chariot dust, and
water shaken from lotuses on a lake.
associated_figures:
- fig:7
- fig:8
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: sym:4
label: Meru hill image
literal_form: Sita’s closeness to Rama is compared to sunlight cleaving to Meru’s
hill.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs:
- mountain
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:5
label: felled tree image
literal_form: Dasharatha is compared to a tall tree whose root has been hewn away
by an axe.
associated_figures:
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs:
- tree
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: sym:6
label: cow and calf image
literal_form: Rama’s mother is compared to a cow returning to a stall that holds
the calf for whom she yearns.
associated_figures:
- fig:6
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Boarding the chariot for exile
summary: Sita, Rama, and Lakshman board the gold-adorned chariot with ornaments,
weapons, and forest equipment; Sumantra prepares to drive.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Citizens lament the departure
summary: Ayodhya is filled with lament as citizens rush to the chariot, weep, cling
to it, and ask Sumantra to slow down so they can see Rama again.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:4
- fig:7
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: scene:3
label: Praise of Sita and Lakshman
summary: The citizens praise Sita for remaining beside Rama and Lakshman for his
faithful duty to Rama.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:7
symbol_refs:
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: scene:4
label: Royal parents grieve
summary: Dasharatha comes out with mourning royal women, the people and women weep,
and the king collapses under grief as Rama departs.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:5
- fig:7
- fig:8
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: scene:5
label: Opposing commands to the charioteer
summary: Rama sees his father and mother in distress but tells Sumantra to drive
on; the king orders the chariot to stop. Sumantra is divided, then obeys Rama
and drives away.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: Royal exile departure from the city
taxonomy_refs:
- departure
basis: Rama leaves Ayodhya for banishment in a chariot while the city, citizens,
and royal family lament his departure.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:4
- ev:6
- ev:7
confidence: high
cautions: The passage presents the departure itself; later exile events are outside
this excerpt.
- id: motif:2
label: Faithful spouse accompanies the banished husband
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Sita follows Rama, is equipped with robes and ornaments for the journey,
and is praised for remaining beside him like a shadow.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
confidence: high
cautions: The passage emphasizes marital duty and companionship; it does not by
itself establish a broader sacred-marriage motif.
- id: motif:3
label: Loyal sibling companion in exile
taxonomy_refs:
- sibling_pair
basis: Lakshman boards the chariot with Rama and is praised for steadfast duty in
tending him.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
confidence: medium
cautions: The sibling-pair taxonomy is only partly represented here, since the passage
focuses on Lakshman’s attendant loyalty during Rama’s departure.
- id: motif:4
label: Parent-child separation under duty
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Rama sees his grieving father and mother but cannot meet his mother’s look
and commands the chariot onward because he is pressed by duty.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
confidence: high
cautions: The passage gives an emotional separation scene, not a full independent
parent-child cycle.
comparison_claims:
- id: claim:1
claim: 'The passage fits the departure motif family: a royal hero leaves his city
for banishment, with companions, while kin and community lament and attempt to
delay him.'
claim_level: same_motif
target: departure
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:4
- ev:6
- ev:7
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: high
limitations: This is a taxonomic comparison to a motif family only; it does not
claim historical transmission or dependence beyond the supplied passage.
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: 15959-15978
quote_or_summary: Sita boards a sun-bright chariot; Rama and Lakshman enter; Sita
has robes and ornaments from the king; nets, weapons, armor, basket, and spade
are loaded; Sumantra drives the swift horses.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: 15979-15996
quote_or_summary: Rama goes forth for banishment; Ayodhya is filled with tumult
and lament; citizens rush to the chariot, cling to it, weep, and ask Sumantra
to drive gently so they can see Rama again.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: 15997-16014
quote_or_summary: The citizens praise Sita for staying beside Rama like a shadow
and praise Lakshman for remaining dutiful while tending Rama.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: 16015-16038
quote_or_summary: Dasharatha comes out surrounded by mournful wives to see his son;
Rama urges Sumantra to drive away while the people call for him to stay; the chariot
dust is described as laid by the tears of those in the road.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: 16039-16052
quote_or_summary: Women’s tears fall; Dasharatha sees the whole town fixed on Rama
and collapses like a tall tree cut at the root; the people cry out around the
sorrowing ladies.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: 16053-16081
quote_or_summary: Rama looks back and sees his father and mother in distress, cannot
meet his mother’s look because duty presses him, and tells Sumantra to drive fast;
his mother tries to run to the car and cries out; the king says to stay while
Rama says to go on.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: 16082-16110
quote_or_summary: Sumantra is torn between the king and Rama; Rama says lengthened
woe is bitterest pain and tells him to drive on. Sumantra dismisses the crowd
and urges the horses to their swiftest speed; the king and queen keep their eyes
on their son.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized from supplied passage.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: medium
notes: The main departure and lament elements are explicit. Some symbolic entries
are poetic similes rather than ritual objects, and some motif labels beyond departure
require cautious review.
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 public-domain passage and metadata. Comparison claim is limited to the provided departure motif family.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:hindu-ramayana-griffith-gutenberg__l15959-l16110
passage_sha256=735f47936d1438fbef4ac83c282838e9fc50e9fc4c5e54bdcefc41f79648bfcd