batch.motif.hindu-ramayana-griffith-gutenberg-l33110-l33253
---
record_id: batch.motif.hindu-ramayana-griffith-gutenberg-l33110-l33253
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
passage_locator:
label: Canto XXV. The Battle. / Canto XXVIII. Khara Dismounted. / Canto XLIII. The
Wondrous Deer. / Canto XLVI. The Guest.; lines 33110-33253
start: '33110'
end: '33253'
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: Sítá, carried away through the air by Rávaṇ, sees the vulture Jaṭáyus on
a tree and asks him to report her abduction to Ráma and Lakshmaṇ. Jaṭáyus wakes,
addresses Rávaṇ, identifies himself and Sítá, rebukes the abduction as unlawful,
warns of Ráma’s vengeance, and challenges Rávaṇ, vowing to resist him even at
the cost of life.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Sítá is being carried through the air by Rávaṇ and laments her abduction.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Sítá sees a vulture on a lofty tree and addresses him as a friend.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: Sítá asks the bird to tell Ráma and Lakshmaṇ that she has been torn from her
home and what has happened.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:4
text: Jaṭáyus wakes, sees Sítá and her giant ravisher, and speaks to Rávaṇ from
the tree.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:5
text: Jaṭáyus identifies himself as the vulture king and identifies Sítá as Ráma’s
consort.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:6
text: Jaṭáyus argues that a king should not touch another’s spouse and should honor
the wives of others.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:7
text: Jaṭáyus urges Rávaṇ to release Sítá and warns that Ráma’s wrath may kill him.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: obs:8
text: Jaṭáyus compares Rávaṇ’s danger to taking a venomed snake and becoming entangled
in Death’s coils.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:9
text: Jaṭáyus states that his life has run for sixty thousand years and that he
is older than Rávaṇ.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:10
text: Jaṭáyus challenges Rávaṇ to battle and says Rávaṇ shall not carry Sítá away
unopposed.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: obs:11
text: Jaṭáyus says he cannot kill Rávaṇ himself but predicts that Ráma and Lakshmaṇ
will strike Rávaṇ down with arrows.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:12
text: Jaṭáyus says he will resist while he has life and sense, whatever the pain
or cost, even if life is lost.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Sítá
description: A captive lady, identified by Jaṭáyus as the dear consort and dame
of Ráma; she is being carried away by Rávaṇ and asks Jaṭáyus to inform Ráma and
Lakshmaṇ.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:6
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Rávaṇ
description: The king/lord of the giant race, called Ten-necked lord and Sítá’s
ravisher; he carries Sítá away in a flying car or chariot and is rebuked by Jaṭáyus.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:6
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Jaṭáyus
description: A vulture on a lofty tree, self-identified as the vulture king supreme
in air; he counsels and challenges Rávaṇ.
role_refs:
- role:3
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Ráma
description: Daśaratha’s heir and Sítá’s consort; absent from the scene but invoked
as the one to be informed and as the future avenger.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:6
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Lakshmaṇ
description: A valiant figure whom Sítá asks Jaṭáyus to inform; later included with
Ráma among the princely youths whose arrows will strike Rávaṇ down.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:6
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Indra
description: Lord Indra is invoked in a comparison as the one who threw the lightning
flame that slew Vritra.
role_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Vritra
description: Vritra is invoked in a comparison as one struck and slain by Indra’s
lightning flame.
role_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: Khara
description: A giant mentioned as having fought and fallen; Jaṭáyus says the blame
was Khara’s, not Ráma’s.
role_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:5
roles:
- id: role:1
label: abducted spouse
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Sítá says Rávaṇ bears her away as helpless prey, and Jaṭáyus identifies her
as Ráma’s consort.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: role:2
label: abductor and unlawful king
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Rávaṇ carries Sítá away and is rebuked for taking another’s spouse and for
kingly misconduct.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- id: role:3
label: avian witness-messenger
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: Sítá sees the vulture and asks him to carry news of her abduction to Ráma
and Lakshmaṇ.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:4
label: aged defender
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: Jaṭáyus states his great age and challenges Rávaṇ, vowing to oppose him despite
the cost.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: role:5
label: lamenting captive
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Sítá weeps, laments, and describes herself as helpless prey of violence.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:6
label: absent avenger
assigned_to:
- fig:4
- fig:5
basis: Jaṭáyus predicts that the princely youths will strike Rávaṇ down with arrows,
and Sítá asks that they be told what happened.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:6
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: lofty tree
literal_form: A lofty tree where the vulture Jaṭáyus is seen and from which he addresses
Rávaṇ.
associated_figures:
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs:
- tree
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: sym:2
label: vulture king
literal_form: The vulture Jaṭáyus, a bird described as noble, beaked, majestic,
and supreme in air.
associated_figures:
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:3
label: flying chariot
literal_form: Rávaṇ’s flying car or glorious chariot that bears Sítá away and that
Jaṭáyus asks Rávaṇ to delay.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:6
- id: sym:4
label: venomed snake image
literal_form: Jaṭáyus warns Rávaṇ that taking Sítá is like taking a venomed snake
to his heart and being caught in Death’s coils.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs:
- serpent
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:5
label: lightning flame
literal_form: Indra’s lightning flame, used in a comparison for the destructive
force that slew Vritra.
associated_figures:
- fig:6
- fig:7
taxonomy_refs:
- fire
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Sítá appeals to Jaṭáyus during abduction
summary: As Rávaṇ carries Sítá through the air, she sees Jaṭáyus on a tree and asks
him to tell Ráma and Lakshmaṇ of her abduction.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Jaṭáyus rebukes Rávaṇ
summary: Jaṭáyus wakes, identifies himself and Sítá, and argues that Rávaṇ’s seizure
of another’s spouse violates royal and moral law.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:8
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: scene:3
label: Warning of fatal consequence
summary: Jaṭáyus warns Rávaṇ to release Sítá or be destroyed by Ráma’s wrath, using
images of Vritra slain by Indra, a venomed snake, and Death’s coils.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:6
- fig:7
symbol_refs:
- sym:4
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: scene:4
label: Jaṭáyus challenges the abductor
summary: Jaṭáyus declares his age and rank, challenges Rávaṇ to battle, predicts
Rávaṇ’s fall, and vows that Sítá will not be carried away while he lives.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:8
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: abduction of the beloved spouse
taxonomy_refs:
- stolen_beloved
basis: Sítá, identified as Ráma’s consort, is carried away by Rávaṇ, and she asks
that Ráma be told how she was torn from her home.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
confidence: high
cautions: The passage presents the abduction already in progress rather than its
initial act.
- id: motif:2
label: animal or bird witness as messenger
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Sítá appeals to Jaṭáyus, a vulture on a tree, to carry news of her abduction
to Ráma and Lakshmaṇ.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
confidence: high
cautions: The passage records the request; it does not show the message being delivered.
- id: motif:3
label: aged guardian’s self-sacrificial resistance
taxonomy_refs:
- sacrifice
basis: Jaṭáyus emphasizes his age, challenges Rávaṇ, and states that he will resist
while alive even if life is lost.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
confidence: medium
cautions: The actual death or completion of sacrifice is not narrated in this excerpt.
- id: motif:4
label: moral rebuke of unlawful kingship
taxonomy_refs:
- royal_legitimacy
basis: Jaṭáyus argues that a king’s conduct guides his subjects and that a sinful
ruler cannot retain kingly place or heavenly reward.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
confidence: medium
cautions: This is a speech about kingship and law; it is not a succession or enthronement
episode.
- id: motif:5
label: venomous captive as hidden danger
taxonomy_refs:
- serpent
basis: Jaṭáyus warns that taking Sítá home is like taking a venomed snake to the
heart and entering Death’s coils.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
confidence: medium
cautions: The serpent is a warning image in speech, not a literal serpent episode.
comparison_claims:
- id: claim:1
claim: Jaṭáyus explicitly compares Rávaṇ’s threatened fall under Ráma’s wrath to
Vritra being slain when Indra threw the lightning flame.
claim_level: same_function
target: Indra’s slaying of Vritra
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: high
limitations: This is an internal simile used by the speaker; it does not by itself
establish broader historical relationship or shared narrative structure beyond
the stated comparison.
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: 33110-33133
quote_or_summary: Sítá, carried through the air by Rávaṇ, sees a vulture on a lofty
tree and asks him to tell Ráma and Lakshmaṇ that she has been torn from her home.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: 33134-33148
quote_or_summary: Jaṭáyus wakes, sees Sítá and her ravisher, speaks to the lord
of giants, names himself vulture king, and identifies Sítá as Ráma’s consort.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: 33149-33185
quote_or_summary: Jaṭáyus counsels Rávaṇ that kings should follow law, should not
touch another’s spouse, should guide their subjects, and should release Sítá because
Ráma has not wronged him.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: 33186-33207
quote_or_summary: Jaṭáyus warns Rávaṇ that Ráma’s wrath may kill him like Vritra
slain by Indra’s lightning, and likens taking Sítá to taking a venomed snake and
entering Death’s coils.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: 33208-33237
quote_or_summary: Jaṭáyus says he has lived sixty thousand years, is older than
Rávaṇ, and will not let him steal Sítá without a fight, challenging him to battle.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: 33238-33253
quote_or_summary: Jaṭáyus predicts Rávaṇ will be struck down by the princely youths,
vows that Sítá will not be carried away while he has life and sense, and asks
Rávaṇ to delay his chariot for battle.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: high
notes: Extraction is based only on the supplied passage. Motif labels are candidate
classifications and require human review, especially where taxonomy references
are interpretive.
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 or unsupported taxonomy IDs were used.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:hindu-ramayana-griffith-gutenberg__l33110-l33253
passage_sha256=c2d824ebd95e516fb4b63d9d1cccb1a0639e917008af309a7dc28af63f4d66c1