batch.motif.hindu-ramayana-griffith-gutenberg-l34188-l34368
---
record_id: batch.motif.hindu-ramayana-griffith-gutenberg-l34188-l34368
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 34188-34368
start: '34188'
end: '34368'
translation: The Ramayan of Valmiki
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: "“The fiend has borne to Lanká’s isle / The lady of the lovely smile”"
summary: Brahma sends Indra, accompanied by Sleep, to Sita in Lanka. Sleep closes
the demons’ eyes, and Indra gives Sita celestial food that removes hunger, thirst,
and weariness. The passage then turns to Rama returning after killing the demon
in the form of a deer; ominous cries and signs make him fear for Sita, and he
meets Lakshman and reproaches him for leaving her unguarded.
language: English
quote_policy: quoted
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: A fiend has carried Sita to the island city of Lanka, where she is guarded
by demons and grieves for Rama.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Lanka is described as founded on a steep and surrounded by the sea.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: Brahma instructs Indra to go to Sita and give her heavenly food to sustain
her spirit.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:4
text: Indra travels to Lanka with Sleep and commands Sleep to close the eyes of
the demons.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:5
text: Sleep fulfills Indra’s command by making the demons sleep.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:6
text: Indra comes to Sita in the Asoka garden and identifies himself as lord of
the gods.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:7
text: Indra tells Sita that Rama will soon invade the sea-girt land with hosts to
aid him.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:8
text: Sita asks Indra to show marks of godhead so she may know he is truly the king
of the gods.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:9
text: 'Indra displays divine signs: raised feet, motionless eyelids, dustless clothing,
and a fresh bright wreath.'
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:10
text: Sita receives Indra’s food, thinks first of Rama and Lakshman, and eats it.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: obs:11
text: The celestial food removes Sita’s hunger, thirst, and lassitude and restores
her strength.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: obs:12
text: After Rama strikes the giant in the seeming buck, he turns homeward toward
Sita.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
- id: obs:13
text: Rama hears a jackal’s cry and interprets it as portending disaster.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:12
- id: obs:14
text: Rama recalls that Maricha, while dying, cried out in a voice imitating Rama’s
accents to summon Lakshman.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:13
- id: obs:15
text: Birds and deer move around Rama from the left and make discordant sounds,
renewing his terror.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:14
- id: obs:16
text: Rama meets Lakshman and reproaches him for leaving Sita without aid in the
wild wood where giants roamed.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:15
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Brahma
description: Speaker who sends Indra to Sita with heavenly food.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Indra
description: Lord of the gods, Śachí’s lord, who goes to Lanka with Sleep and brings
celestial food to Sita.
role_refs:
- role:2
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Sleep
description: Personified Sleep accompanies Indra and closes the demons’ eyes.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Sita
description: Janak’s child, Videhan or Maithil lady, imprisoned in Lanka and sustained
by Indra’s food.
role_refs:
- role:5
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:5
- ev:7
- ev:9
- ev:10
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Rama
description: Sita’s lord; after killing the giant in the seeming buck he returns
homeward, fears disaster, and reproaches Lakshman.
role_refs:
- role:7
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
- ev:12
- ev:13
- ev:15
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Lakshman
description: Rama’s brother who comes to meet Rama after having left Sita.
role_refs:
- role:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:13
- ev:15
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Maricha
description: Demon associated with the seeming deer; as he dies he cries out in
a voice imitating Rama.
role_refs:
- role:10
- role:11
evidence_refs:
- ev:13
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: unnamed fiend
description: The fiend who has borne Sita to Lanka’s isle.
role_refs:
- role:12
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:9
name_or_label: demons or giants
description: Demon guards and giant foes in Lanka; their eyes are closed by Sleep.
role_refs:
- role:13
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:4
roles:
- id: role:1
label: divine sender
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Brahma commands Indra to seek Sita and bring heavenly food.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:2
label: divine helper
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Indra tells Sita he has come to help her and Rama.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: role:3
label: giver of celestial food
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Indra brings and gives Sita ambrosial food.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:9
- id: role:4
label: sleep-bringer
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: Sleep closes the demons’ eyes in repose at Indra’s command.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:5
label: captive beloved
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: Sita is held in Lanka, guarded by demons, and longs for Rama.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:6
label: recipient of divine sustenance
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: Sita receives and eats Indra’s celestial food, which restores her strength.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
- id: role:7
label: seeking husband
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: Rama returns toward Sita and fears harm has come to her.
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
- ev:12
- id: role:8
label: demon-slayer
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: Rama’s shaft strikes the giant in the seeming buck.
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
- id: role:9
label: absent guardian
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: Rama reproaches Lakshman for leaving Sita far from aid.
evidence_refs:
- ev:15
- id: role:10
label: deceptive lure
assigned_to:
- fig:7
basis: Maricha in the seeming deer draws Rama far from home.
evidence_refs:
- ev:13
- id: role:11
label: voice imitator
assigned_to:
- fig:7
basis: Maricha cries out with a voice that mocks Rama’s accents.
evidence_refs:
- ev:13
- id: role:12
label: abductor
assigned_to:
- fig:8
basis: The fiend has borne Sita to Lanka’s isle.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:13
label: hostile guards
assigned_to:
- fig:9
basis: Sita sees a crowd of demons and is guarded by a giant train; Sleep closes
the demons’ eyes.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:4
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: sea-girt island prison
literal_form: Lanka founded on a steep and surrounded by the mighty deep
associated_figures:
- fig:4
- fig:9
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:2
label: ambrosial food
literal_form: heavenly or celestial food that prevents hunger and thirst and restores
strength
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:10
- id: sym:3
label: induced sleep
literal_form: Sleep closing the demons’ eyes in deep repose
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:9
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:4
label: divine bodily signs
literal_form: feet raised above ground, motionless eyelids, dustless raiment, fresh
wreath
associated_figures:
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: sym:5
label: seeming deer
literal_form: giant in the seeming buck; the seeming deer Maricha
associated_figures:
- fig:5
- fig:7
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
- ev:13
- id: sym:6
label: ominous jackal cry
literal_form: a jackal’s piercing cry interpreted as a portent of disaster
associated_figures:
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:12
- id: sym:7
label: left-side animal omens
literal_form: birds and deer moving around Rama from the left and crying discordantly
associated_figures:
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:14
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Brahma dispatches Indra to sustain Sita
summary: Brahma says Sita is captive in Lanka and commands Indra to go there with
heavenly food.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:4
- fig:8
- fig:9
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: scene:2
label: Sleep overcomes the demon guards
summary: Indra travels to Lanka with Sleep, commands her to close the demons’ eyes,
and the demons fall into sleep.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:9
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: scene:3
label: Indra appears to Sita in the Asoka garden
summary: Indra reaches Sita, tells her he is helping Rama and her, and offers ambrosial
food.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: scene:4
label: Sita verifies Indra and eats the food
summary: Sita asks for signs of godhead; Indra displays them, and Sita accepts and
eats the celestial food after thinking of Rama and Lakshman.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- ev:9
- ev:10
- id: scene:5
label: Rama returns after the deceptive deer
summary: After striking the giant in the seeming buck, Rama returns homeward, hears
a jackal cry, and fears disaster for Sita.
figure_refs:
- fig:5
- fig:7
symbol_refs:
- sym:5
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
- ev:12
- ev:13
- id: scene:6
label: Ominous animals and meeting with Lakshman
summary: Birds and deer move on Rama’s left and cry discordantly; Rama meets Lakshman
and reproaches him for leaving Sita unguarded.
figure_refs:
- fig:5
- fig:6
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:14
- ev:15
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: abducted beloved imprisoned across the sea
taxonomy_refs:
- stolen_beloved
basis: Sita has been borne away by a fiend to Lanka, guarded by demons, while Rama
is absent and unaware of her location.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
confidence: high
cautions: The abductor is unnamed within this passage excerpt.
- id: motif:2
label: divine aid to captive heroine
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Brahma sends Indra to Sita; Indra uses Sleep to disable the guards and gives
Sita celestial food that sustains her.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:6
- ev:10
confidence: high
cautions: No supplied taxonomy reference directly names this aid pattern.
- id: motif:3
label: deceptive animal lure
taxonomy_refs:
- shapeshifter
basis: Rama recalls that the seeming deer Maricha drew him far from home; the passage
also calls the slain being a giant in the seeming buck.
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
- ev:13
confidence: high
cautions: The passage states a deceptive animal form but does not give a full transformation
scene in this excerpt.
- id: motif:4
label: imitated voice summons guardian away
taxonomy_refs:
- trickster_boundary
basis: As Maricha dies, he cries out in a voice imitating Rama so that Lakshman
may leave Sita to aid Rama.
evidence_refs:
- ev:13
- ev:15
confidence: medium
cautions: The taxonomy fit is interpretive; the passage clearly supports deception
and boundary failure, but not an explicit named trickster role.
- id: motif:5
label: omens announce danger
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Rama hears a jackal’s cry and sees birds and deer moving on his left with
discordant cries, which renew his fear of disaster.
evidence_refs:
- ev:12
- ev:14
confidence: high
cautions: No supplied taxonomy reference directly corresponds to ominous animal
signs.
comparison_claims:
- id: claim:1
claim: 'The passage fits the supplied stolen-beloved motif family: a beloved wife
is abducted to a remote, guarded place, and the husband must later discover and
reach her.'
claim_level: same_motif
target: stolen_beloved motif family
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:6
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: high
limitations: This claim is limited to motif-family alignment; the excerpt alone
does not establish historical comparison with another tradition.
- id: claim:2
claim: The seeming deer and Maricha’s imitated cry fit a shapeshifter/deceptive-lure
pattern in which a false appearance draws the hero away and exposes the beloved
to danger.
claim_level: same_function
target: shapeshifter and deceptive lure pattern
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
- ev:13
- ev:15
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: medium
limitations: The excerpt names the deer as seeming and deceptive, but does not narrate
the initial transformation process.
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 34188-34202
quote_or_summary: A fiend has borne Sita to Lanka; she longs for Rama while guarded
by demons and weeping in captivity.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary used.
- id: ev:2
type: quote
locator: lines 34203-34206
quote_or_summary: "“Lanká founded on a steep / Is girdled by the mighty deep”"
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short quotation.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 34213-34218
quote_or_summary: Brahma tells Indra to go swiftly to Sita and let heavenly food
sustain her spirit.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary used.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 34219-34230
quote_or_summary: Indra flies to Lanka with Sleep and commands Sleep to close each
giant’s eye; Sleep fulfills the command and closes the demons’ eyes.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary used.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 34231-34238
quote_or_summary: Indra goes to the Asoka garden, stands where Sita lies, identifies
himself as lord of the gods, and tells her not to weep.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary used.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: lines 34239-34256
quote_or_summary: Indra says he has come to help Rama and Sita, that Rama will invade
the sea-girt land, and that he has brought ambrosial food freeing her from hunger
and thirst.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary used.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: lines 34257-34268
quote_or_summary: Sita doubts Indra’s identity and asks him to display the signs
by which godhead is known.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary used.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: lines 34269-34274
quote_or_summary: 'Indra displays divine marks: feet raised above the ground, motionless
eyelids, dust-free raiment, and a fresh bright wreath.'
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary used.
- id: ev:9
type: summary
locator: lines 34275-34298
quote_or_summary: Sita recognizes Indra, says Rama has gained a friend in him, receives
the food from Indra’s hand, and thinks of Rama and Lakshman before eating.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary used.
- id: ev:10
type: summary
locator: lines 34299-34314
quote_or_summary: The celestial food stays Sita’s hunger, thirst, and lassitude,
restores her strength, and Indra departs with Sleep.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary used.
- id: ev:11
type: summary
locator: lines 34317-34322
quote_or_summary: After Rama’s arrow strikes the giant in the seeming buck, he turns
back toward home, eager to see Sita.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary used.
- id: ev:12
type: summary
locator: lines 34323-34332
quote_or_summary: A jackal cries from a thicket; Rama is alarmed and treats the
cry as a sign of disaster.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary used.
- id: ev:13
type: summary
locator: lines 34333-34350
quote_or_summary: Rama fears Lakshman may have heard Maricha’s dying cry, spoken
in Rama’s voice, and left Sita; Rama recalls that the seeming deer Maricha drew
him far from home.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary used.
- id: ev:14
type: summary
locator: lines 34351-34360
quote_or_summary: As Rama returns, birds and deer move around him from the left
and make discordant cries, renewing his terror.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary used.
- id: ev:15
type: summary
locator: lines 34361-34368
quote_or_summary: Rama meets Lakshman; both look miserable, and Rama reproaches
him for leaving Sita without aid in the demon-haunted wood.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary used.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: medium
notes: Literal extraction is strong because the passage states the main actions
clearly. Motif labels using supplied taxonomy are strongest for stolen_beloved
and shapeshifter, less certain for trickster_boundary.
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: |-
Only the supplied passage and metadata were used. The passage appears to combine Sita’s divine sustenance in Lanka with Rama’s return after the deceptive deer episode.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:hindu-ramayana-griffith-gutenberg__l34188-l34368
passage_sha256=56e1eb3773d7849749701af37109683af565fc1ecb4000bed79412a932813f3d