batch.motif.hindu-ramayana-griffith-gutenberg-l19909-l20004
---
record_id: batch.motif.hindu-ramayana-griffith-gutenberg-l19909-l20004
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
passage_locator:
label: Canto LXII. Dasaratha Consoled. / Canto LXVI. The Embalming. / Canto LXVII.
The Praise Of Kings. / Canto LXVIII. The Envoys.; lines 19909-20004
start: '19909'
end: '20004'
translation: The Ramayan of Valmiki
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: Vaśishṭha addresses the assembled palace council and orders swift envoys
to bring Bharat and Śatrughna from Rājagriha without revealing Rāma's exile or
the king's death. The envoys carry gifts, prepare provisions and horses, travel
rapidly through named lands, rivers, sacred places, and forests, and arrive by
night at Girivraja to protect the royal race and lineal right.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Vaśishṭha addresses an assembly of friends, Brāhmans, counsellors, and others
in the palace hall.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Bharat is said to be living in Rājagriha, where his mother's father reigns,
with Śatrughna remaining beside him.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: Vaśishṭha calls for active envoys to ride the fleetest horses to bring the
two young heroes back without delay.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:4
text: Vaśishṭha names Nandan, Aśok, Siddhārth, Jayanta, and Vijay among those charged
with the mission.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:5
text: The envoys are instructed to greet Bharat on behalf of the household priest
and peers and ask him to come quickly to his father's home.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:6
text: The envoys are ordered not to tell Bharat that Rāma has departed, that his
sire is dead, or that a fate has ruined Raghu's race.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:7
text: The envoys are told to carry fine silken garments, gems, and other precious
gifts for Bharat and the king.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:8
text: The envoys receive food supplies, prepare swift horses, and depart toward
Kekaya's land under Vaśishṭha's order.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:9
text: The journey is described through multiple named regions and across rivers,
including the Mālinī and the Gaṅgā near Hāstinapura.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: obs:10
text: The envoys humbly bow in the shade of a celestial tree said to grant every
boon on prayer.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: obs:11
text: The envoys view Viṣṇu's footstep, the Vipāśā, Śālmalī, many bodies of water,
and wild animals during the journey.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
- id: obs:12
text: After a swift and long course that wears out their horses, the envoys arrive
by night at Girivraja's splendid town.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:12
- id: obs:13
text: The closing lines state that the envoys come to the city to please their master
and to guard the royal race and lineal right.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:13
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Vaśishṭha
description: Speaker who addresses the palace assembly and directs the envoys' mission.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:8
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Bharat
description: Royal youth living in Rājagriha, summoned to return to his father's
home.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:5
- ev:7
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Śatrughna
description: Royal youth remaining beside Bharat in Rājagriha.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Nandan, Aśok, Siddhārth, Jayanta, Vijay, and other envoys
description: Envoys charged by Vaśishṭha to ride swiftly to Rājagriha/Girivraja,
carry gifts, conceal bad news, and bring Bharat back.
role_refs:
- role:5
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:8
- ev:12
- ev:13
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Rāma
description: Absent royal figure whose departure is not to be reported to Bharat.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Bharat's sire
description: Dead father of Bharat whose death is not to be revealed to him by the
envoys.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: King in Rājagriha/Kekaya
description: Ruler associated with Bharat's mother's family and recipient of gifts
along with Bharat.
role_refs:
- role:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:7
roles:
- id: role:1
label: council speaker
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Vaśishṭha addresses the assembled palace hall.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:2
label: mission commander
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: He orders named envoys to ride to Rājagriha, deliver a message, conceal news,
and carry gifts.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: role:3
label: summoned royal youth
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Bharat is to be brought from Rājagriha to his father's home with haste.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:5
- id: role:4
label: companion of Bharat
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: Śatrughna is described as remaining by Bharat's side.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:5
label: royal messengers
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: The named envoys are charged to travel swiftly and address Bharat on behalf
of the priest and peers.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:8
- id: role:6
label: guardians of lineal right
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: The passage says the envoys come to please their master and guard the royal
race and lineal right.
evidence_refs:
- ev:13
- id: role:7
label: concealed absent prince
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: The envoys are specifically told not to speak of Rāma having fled.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: role:8
label: concealed dead father
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: The envoys are ordered not to tell Bharat that his sire is dead.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: role:9
label: maternal royal host
assigned_to:
- fig:7
basis: Bharat is in the city where his mother's father reigns; gifts are to be given
to Bharat and the king.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:7
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: fleet horses
literal_form: coursers and steeds of the fleetest breed
associated_figures:
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:8
- ev:12
- id: sym:2
label: concealed royal news
literal_form: withheld report of Rāma's departure, the sire's death, and the ruin
of Raghu's race
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: sym:3
label: royal gifts
literal_form: fine silken vestures, gems, and many precious things
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:4
- fig:7
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: sym:4
label: holy waters and river crossings
literal_form: Mālinī, Gaṅgā, Ikshumatī, Vipāśā, lakes, tanks, pools, ponds, and
rivulets
associated_figures:
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:11
- id: sym:5
label: boon-granting celestial tree
literal_form: a celestial tree whose shade the envoys bow to and which grants every
boon on prayer
associated_figures:
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs:
- tree
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: sym:6
label: Viṣṇu's footstep
literal_form: sacred footstep of Viṣṇu viewed on the journey
associated_figures:
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
- id: sym:7
label: royal race and lineal right
literal_form: the royal race and the lineal right guarded by the envoys
associated_figures:
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:13
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Palace council orders the mission
summary: In the palace hall, Vaśishṭha tells the assembly that Bharat and Śatrughna
are in Rājagriha and calls for swift envoys to bring them back.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: scene:2
label: Instructions to the envoys
summary: Vaśishṭha names the envoys, instructs them to summon Bharat, forbids disclosure
of Rāma's departure and the king's death, and orders them to carry rich gifts.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
- fig:7
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: scene:3
label: Swift journey through sacred and royal geography
summary: The envoys prepare provisions and horses, travel through named lands, cross
rivers, bow at a boon-granting tree, and view sacred sites and natural features.
figure_refs:
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:4
- sym:5
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:9
- ev:10
- ev:11
- id: scene:4
label: Night arrival at Girivraja
summary: After their long ride wears out the horses, the envoys arrive at Girivraja
by night in service of their master and the royal succession.
figure_refs:
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:12
- ev:13
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: summons to absent royal heir
taxonomy_refs:
- royal_legitimacy
basis: The mission is to bring Bharat back from Rājagriha and is explicitly tied
to guarding the royal race and lineal right.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:5
- ev:13
confidence: high
cautions: The passage does not state Bharat's accession or coronation, only the
urgent summoning and protection of lineal right.
- id: motif:2
label: messengers under secrecy during dynastic crisis
taxonomy_refs:
- royal_legitimacy
basis: Vaśishṭha orders the envoys to summon Bharat while concealing Rāma's departure,
the sire's death, and the ruin affecting Raghu's race.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:13
confidence: high
cautions: The secrecy is explicit, but the reasons are not fully explained within
this passage.
- id: motif:3
label: urgent royal journey through sacred landscape
taxonomy_refs:
- departure
basis: The envoys rapidly depart with provisions and horses, pass through many named
lands, rivers, sacred sites, and natural features, and arrive by night.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:9
- ev:10
- ev:11
- ev:12
confidence: medium
cautions: The travelers are messengers rather than the central hero; the departure
motif is logistical rather than initiatory.
- id: motif:4
label: boon-granting sacred tree encountered on journey
taxonomy_refs:
- sacred_tree_axis
basis: The envoys bow at the shade of a celestial tree that grants every boon on
prayer.
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
confidence: medium
cautions: The tree is briefly mentioned and not developed as an axis mundi within
the passage.
- id: motif:5
label: gift-bearing embassy
taxonomy_refs:
- sacred_exchange
basis: The envoys are instructed to carry silk garments, gems, and precious items
as gifts to Bharat and the king.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
confidence: medium
cautions: The exchange is diplomatic and royal; no explicit ritual or sacred exchange
is described in this passage.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 19909-19914
quote_or_summary: Vaśishṭha addresses friends, Brāhmans, counsellors, and others
assembled in the palace hall.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 19915-19918
quote_or_summary: Bharat lives in Rājagriha where his mother's father reigns, and
Śatrughna remains by his side.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: quote
locator: lines 19919-19922
quote_or_summary: '"Let active envoys, good at need, / Thither on fleetest horses
speed, / To bring the hero youths away"'
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short excerpt quoted.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 19927-19931
quote_or_summary: Vaśishṭha names Nandan, Aśok, Siddhārth, Jayanta, and Vijay while
assigning the task.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 19932-19939
quote_or_summary: The envoys are to ride to Rājagriha and tell Bharat that the household
priest and peers greet him and ask him to come quickly to his father's home.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:6
type: quote
locator: lines 19940-19943
quote_or_summary: '"But speak no word of Ráma fled, / Tell not the prince his sire
is dead"'
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short excerpt quoted.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: lines 19944-19947
quote_or_summary: The envoys are to bring fine silk garments, gems, and other precious
things as gifts for Bharat and the king.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: lines 19948-19955
quote_or_summary: The envoys are supplied with food, prepare swift horses, arrange
necessities, and set out toward Kekaya's land by Vaśishṭha's order.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:9
type: summary
locator: lines 19956-19967
quote_or_summary: The envoys travel north and west through named regions, cross
the Mālinī, traverse the Gaṅgā near Hāstinapura, and pass through Panchāla and
Kurujāngala.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:10
type: summary
locator: lines 19972-19976
quote_or_summary: A celestial tree grows there, grants every boon on prayer, and
the envoys humbly bend in its blessed shade.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:11
type: summary
locator: lines 19977-19990
quote_or_summary: The envoys pass the Warrior's Wood, Abhikāla, Ikshumatī, Bāhīka,
Sudāman's hill, Viṣṇu's footstep, Vipāśā, Śālmalī, many waters, and wild animals.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:12
type: summary
locator: lines 19993-19996
quote_or_summary: Their long swift course wears their horses, and they arrive by
night at Girivraja's splendid town.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:13
type: quote
locator: lines 19997-20000
quote_or_summary: '"To please their master, and to guard / The royal race, the lineal
right"'
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short excerpt quoted.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: uncertain
notes: Literal extraction is supported by the supplied passage. Motif labels are
cautious and tied to available taxonomy where applicable; comparison claims are
omitted because no explicit cross-tradition comparison is present in the passage.
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: |-
No external sources were used. Diacritics follow the supplied passage where practical.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:hindu-ramayana-griffith-gutenberg__l19909-l20004
passage_sha256=69a440cbb394e23c76f6cb8edd02506dd9dd2fc0d3d3f55a031186666aec4779