batch.motif.hindu-ramayana-griffith-gutenberg-l34031-l34186
---
record_id: batch.motif.hindu-ramayana-griffith-gutenberg-l34031-l34186
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
passage_locator:
label: Canto XXVIII. Khara Dismounted. / Canto XLIII. The Wondrous Deer. / Canto
XLVI. The Guest. / Canto LI. The Combat.; lines 34031-34186
start: '34031'
end: '34186'
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: Sita rebukes Ravana, invokes Rama and Lakshmana, predicts Ravana's destruction,
and refuses any union with him. Ravana threatens to have her killed and eaten
if she continues to reject him after twelve months, then orders rakshasa women
to take her to the Asoka garden and guard her with threats and blandishments.
Sita is left in the garden in grief and fear, watched by the giantesses. The next
canto begins by noting Indra's joy when Sita is placed in Lanka and the Eternal
Sire addressing him.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Sita replies to Ravana with scorn despite fear and grief.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Sita identifies Rama as her husband and as the eldest son of King Dasaratha
of the Ikshvaku line.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: Sita says Rama, aided by Lakshmana, will strike Ravana down and free her.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:4
text: Sita says Ravana has torn a woman away from her lord.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:5
text: Sita refuses Ravana and says his touch cannot defile her fidelity to Rama.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:6
text: Ravana threatens that if Sita denies him for twelve months, his cooks will
cut up her flesh and serve it as his morning meal.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:7
text: Ravana orders rakshasa women to take Sita to the Asoka garden, guard her,
and subdue her pride with threats and blandishments.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:8
text: The Asoka garden is described as fragrant with flowers, fruit-bearing trees,
and singing birds.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:9
text: Sita lies in the garden in terror and grief, watched by cruel giantesses,
thinking of Rama and mourning for Lakshmana.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:10
text: At the beginning of the next canto, Indra feels triumph and joy after Sita
has been set down in Lanka, and the Eternal Sire addresses him.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Sita / Maithil lady
description: Rama's wife, abducted by Ravana, who rejects Ravana and is confined
in the Asoka garden.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Rama
description: Sita's husband, son of Dasaratha, aided by Lakshmana, expected by Sita
to kill Ravana and free her.
role_refs:
- role:3
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:5
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Lakshmana
description: Rama's brother and helper, mourned by Sita while she lies in the garden.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:5
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Ravana
description: King of Lanka and lord of the giants, addressed by Sita as the one
who carried her away and who threatens and confines her.
role_refs:
- role:6
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Rakshasa dames / giantesses
description: Female rakshasas ordered by Ravana to guard Sita and subdue her pride.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: King Dasaratha
description: Rama's father, described by Sita as a truthful and honorable king.
role_refs:
- role:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Khara
description: A previously slain figure whom Sita cites as an example of Rama's destructive
power in Janasthan.
role_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: Indra
description: A divine figure whose breast is filled with triumph and joy when Sita
is set down in Lanka.
role_refs:
- role:10
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: fig:9
name_or_label: Eternal Sire
description: A divine figure who addresses Indra at the opening of the following
canto.
role_refs:
- role:11
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
roles:
- id: role:1
label: abducted wife
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Sita says Ravana has torn a woman from her lord, and Ravana has her confined
under guard.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
- id: role:2
label: steadfast rejecter of captor
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Sita refuses Ravana and states that she will not be joined with shame or
reproach.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:3
label: absent husband and rescuer
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Sita says Rama will free her and kill Ravana.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:4
label: avenger
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Sita predicts Rama's arrows and fury will end Ravana's life.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:5
label: brother-helper
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: Sita says Rama acts with Lakshmana's aid and later mourns for Lakshmana.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:5
- id: role:6
label: abductor and captor
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: Sita accuses Ravana of tearing a woman from her lord, and Ravana orders her
guarded in the Asoka garden.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
- id: role:7
label: threatening antagonist
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: Ravana threatens cannibal violence against Sita if she continues to reject
him.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:8
label: guards and coercive attendants
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: Ravana commands the rakshasa women to guard Sita and tame her pride.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: role:9
label: royal father of hero
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: Sita names Dasaratha as Rama's father and honorable king.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:10
label: divine observer rejoicing
assigned_to:
- fig:8
basis: Indra is said to feel triumph and joy after Sita is placed in Lanka.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: role:11
label: divine speaker
assigned_to:
- fig:9
basis: The Eternal Sire addresses Indra at the start of the next canto.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: Asoka garden
literal_form: A guarded garden in Lanka with fragrant flowers, fruit-bearing trees,
and birds.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:4
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs:
- tree
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: sym:2
label: Rama's arrows
literal_form: Gold-bright arrows from Rama's bow, imagined as rending Ravana's body.
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:3
label: altar of sacred rite
literal_form: An altar with ritual vessels, invoked by Sita as an analogy for her
own purity against defilement.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:4
label: serpents and feathered king image
literal_form: Ravana's night-rovers are compared to serpents whose venom fails when
the feathered king swoops down.
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs:
- serpent
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:5
label: solitary deer among tigresses
literal_form: Sita watched by giantesses is compared to a lone deer near ravening
tigresses.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Sita's defiant rebuke
summary: Sita answers Ravana by praising Rama, recalling Rama's lineage and power,
and predicting Ravana's death and the destruction of Lanka.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:6
- fig:7
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Refusal of Ravana
summary: Sita accuses Ravana of taking a woman from her lord and declares that he
cannot defile her fidelity to Rama.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: scene:3
label: Ravana's threat
summary: Ravana angrily threatens that Sita will be killed and eaten if she refuses
him for twelve months.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:4
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: scene:4
label: Confinement in the Asoka garden
summary: Ravana commands rakshasa women to take Sita to the Asoka garden, guard
her, and bend her will; Sita is left there grieving and afraid.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: scene:5
label: Divine transition to Sita Comforted
summary: After Sita is placed in Lanka, Indra rejoices and the Eternal Sire begins
to address him.
figure_refs:
- fig:8
- fig:9
- fig:1
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: stolen beloved held by antagonist
taxonomy_refs:
- stolen_beloved
basis: Sita states that Ravana has torn a woman from her lord, and Ravana confines
her in the Asoka garden under guard.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
- ev:5
confidence: high
cautions: The passage presupposes the abduction rather than narrating its initial
act.
- id: motif:2
label: faithful captive refuses captor
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Sita rejects Ravana, insists on her fidelity to Rama, and accepts possible
death rather than dishonor.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
confidence: high
cautions: No external taxonomy reference supplied for this exact motif label.
- id: motif:3
label: absent hero foretold as rescuer and avenger
taxonomy_refs:
- return
basis: Sita repeatedly predicts that Rama will come, free her, and destroy Ravana
and Lanka.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage is prophetic speech, not the actual return or rescue episode.
- id: motif:4
label: coercive deadline imposed on captive woman
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Ravana gives Sita a twelve-month period after which he threatens lethal punishment
if she continues to refuse him.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
confidence: high
cautions: The passage gives the deadline and threat but not its later resolution.
- id: motif:5
label: garden prison
taxonomy_refs:
- tree
basis: Sita is taken to the flowered, tree-filled Asoka garden, where she is guarded
by rakshasa women and remains in grief and fear.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
confidence: medium
cautions: The taxonomy reference is symbolic rather than a specific motif-family
match.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 34031-34083
quote_or_summary: Sita replies to Ravana by naming Rama as her husband, son of Dasaratha,
and ally of Lakshmana; she predicts Rama's arrows and fury will kill Ravana and
free her.
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 34084-34117
quote_or_summary: Sita tells Ravana that he has torn a woman from her lord, compares
herself to a ritually pure altar that cannot be sullied, and refuses to let her
name be joined with reproach or shame.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 34118-34131
quote_or_summary: Ravana, angered by Sita's words, says that if twelve months pass
and she still denies him love, his cooks will mince her flesh and serve it for
his morning meal.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 34132-34151
quote_or_summary: Ravana calls the rakshasa women and orders them to take Sita to
the Asoka garden, guard her, and bend her pride by threats and blandishments.
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 34152-34182
quote_or_summary: The garden is described with sweet flowers, fruiting trees, and
birds; Sita lies there terrified and grief-stricken, watched by cruel giantesses
and thinking of Rama and Lakshmana.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: lines 34183-34186
quote_or_summary: 'The next canto opens: after the fiend sets Sita down in Lanka,
Indra feels triumph and joy, and the Eternal Sire addresses him.'
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: uncertain
notes: Core figures, actions, and setting are explicit. Some motif labels are analytic
and should be reviewed, especially taxonomy alignment for return and tree.
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 comparison claims added because the passage itself does not make an explicit cross-tradition comparison.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:hindu-ramayana-griffith-gutenberg__l34031-l34186
passage_sha256=0eef2f42a2e3b91f0abe22ddfce600d2a038b89b77e3a8a6a1cfc679bead2347