batch.motif.hindu-ramayana-griffith-gutenberg-l3820-l3990
---
record_id: batch.motif.hindu-ramayana-griffith-gutenberg-l3820-l3990
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
passage_locator:
label: Canto XII. The Sacrifice Begun. / Canto XIII. The Sacrifice Finished. / Canto
XV. The Nectar. / Canto XIX. The Birth Of The Princes.; lines 3820-3990
start: '3820'
end: '3990'
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: King Daśaratha resists Viśvāmitra’s request to take the young Rāma to defend
a sacrifice from demons. Viśvāmitra names Rāvaṇ, Mārīcha, and Suvāhu as the hostile
powers. When Daśaratha wavers from his promise, Viśvāmitra becomes angry and the
world trembles. Vasiṣṭha urges the king to keep his word, explaining that Viśvāmitra
possesses celestial weapons and will protect and arm Rāma.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: The king says Rāma is still a child, nearly sixteen, and unfit for the requested
enterprise.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: The king offers to bring his own army and fight the night-roaming demons himself
so that the sacrifice may be completed without hindrance.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: The king says he cannot live if deprived of Rāma and emphasizes that his sons
came to him after a long old age as a hard-won boon.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:4
text: Viśvāmitra identifies Rāvaṇ as a powerful giant descended from Pulastya’s
race, favored by the Eternal Sire, and surrounded by giant bands.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:5
text: Viśvāmitra says Rāvaṇ’s commands send Mārīcha and Suvāhu to trouble and impede
the rite.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:6
text: The king says gods, spirits, heavenly bards, birds, and snakes fear Rāvaṇ,
and he refuses to let his young child go.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:7
text: Viśvāmitra rebukes the king for making a promise and now wishing to break
it.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:8
text: When Viśvāmitra becomes angry, the earth rocks and fear comes upon the immortals.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:9
text: Vasiṣṭha tells the king that, as one born of Ikṣvāku’s line and famed for
justice and truth, he must not violate the right or stain his race.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: obs:10
text: Vasiṣṭha says the demons will not be able to hurt Rāma because Viśvāmitra
will shield him.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: obs:11
text: Vasiṣṭha says Viśvāmitra knows celestial weapons concealed even from gods
and will give them to Rāma to wield.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Daśaratha / the monarch
description: A king and father who fears losing Rāma and resists sending him with
Viśvāmitra.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:7
- ev:9
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Rāma
description: The king’s young son, described as nearly sixteen, beloved, godlike,
and the intended defender of the rite under Viśvāmitra’s protection.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- ev:6
- ev:10
- ev:11
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Viśvāmitra / Kuśik’s son
description: A mighty sage requesting Rāma, rebuking the king’s broken promise,
and described by Vasiṣṭha as protector and possessor of celestial weapons.
role_refs:
- role:4
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:7
- ev:8
- ev:10
- ev:11
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Rāvaṇ
description: A giant of Pulastya’s race, favored by the Eternal Sire, feared by
many beings, and commander of demons who impede the rite.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Mārīcha
description: One of the two demons named as troubling and impeding the rite under
Rāvaṇ’s command.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Suvāhu
description: One of the two demons named as troubling and impeding the rite under
Rāvaṇ’s command.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Vasiṣṭha
description: A wise seer who counsels the king to keep his vow and let Rāma go with
Viśvāmitra.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
- ev:11
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: Kriśāśva
description: A former earth-ruler who conveyed celestial arms to Viśvāmitra.
role_refs:
- role:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
- id: fig:9
name_or_label: Jayā and Vijayā
description: Named as mothers connected with the origin of splendid weapons or weapon-beings.
role_refs:
- role:10
evidence_refs:
- ev:12
- id: fig:10
name_or_label: Sanhāras
description: Children of Vijayā, described as mighty and hard to assail or check.
role_refs:
- role:11
evidence_refs:
- ev:12
roles:
- id: role:1
label: anxious father
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The king repeatedly calls Rāma his child and says his heart would break if
Rāma were taken.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- id: role:2
label: vow-bound king
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Viśvāmitra and Vasiṣṭha both frame the king’s refusal as a violation of promise,
duty, and royal lineage.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:9
- id: role:3
label: young appointed defender
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Rāma is the youth requested to go and later described as able to rout the
fiends when protected and armed by Viśvāmitra.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:10
- ev:11
- id: role:4
label: requesting sage
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: Viśvāmitra asks for Rāma to defend the sacrifice and responds to the king’s
objections.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:7
- id: role:5
label: guardian with celestial weapons
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: Vasiṣṭha says Viśvāmitra will shield Rāma and has knowledge of celestial
arms.
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- ev:11
- id: role:6
label: distant demonic overlord
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: Rāvaṇ is described as a powerful giant whose commands impel the demons obstructing
the rite.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: role:7
label: rite-obstructing demon
assigned_to:
- fig:5
- fig:6
basis: Mārīcha and Suvāhu are named as demons sent to trouble and impede the rite.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: role:8
label: counseling seer
assigned_to:
- fig:7
basis: Vasiṣṭha advises the king to keep duty and allow Rāma to go.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
- ev:11
- id: role:9
label: transmitter of celestial arms
assigned_to:
- fig:8
basis: Kriśāśva is said to have conveyed the celestial arms to Viśvāmitra.
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
- id: role:10
label: weapon progenitors
assigned_to:
- fig:9
basis: Jayā and Vijayā are named in the genealogy of the splendid weapons or weapon-beings.
evidence_refs:
- ev:12
- id: role:11
label: weapon-beings
assigned_to:
- fig:10
basis: The Sanhāras are described as children of Vijayā, mighty and difficult to
resist.
evidence_refs:
- ev:12
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: sacrifice or rite
literal_form: A guarded sacrifice or rite that demons are trying to trouble and
impede.
associated_figures:
- fig:3
- fig:5
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:5
- id: sym:2
label: celestial weapons
literal_form: Arms concealed even from the gods, known to Viśvāmitra and to be yielded
to Rāma.
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:8
- fig:9
- fig:10
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
- ev:12
- id: sym:3
label: royal promise
literal_form: The king’s spoken promise, whose breaking is treated as shameful and
harmful to merit.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:7
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:9
- id: sym:4
label: earth trembling
literal_form: The earth rocking and reeling when Viśvāmitra becomes angry.
associated_figures:
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: sym:5
label: four-fold army
literal_form: The complete four-fold army the king offers to lead with Rāma.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Daśaratha pleads to keep Rāma
summary: The king argues that Rāma is too young and beloved to be taken, and offers
himself and his army to guard the sacrifice instead.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: scene:2
label: Viśvāmitra names the demonic threat
summary: Viśvāmitra identifies Rāvaṇ as the commanding power and Mārīcha and Suvāhu
as the demons obstructing the rite.
figure_refs:
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: scene:3
label: The king refuses from fear of Rāvaṇ
summary: Daśaratha describes Rāvaṇ as fearsome even to divine and nonhuman beings,
then refuses again to let Rāma go.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: scene:4
label: Viśvāmitra’s anger shakes the world
summary: Viśvāmitra rebukes the king for breaking his word; his anger is followed
by the earth’s trembling and fear among the immortals.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: scene:5
label: Vasiṣṭha counsels duty and protection
summary: Vasiṣṭha tells the king not to violate truth or duty, assures him that
Viśvāmitra will protect Rāma, and explains the sage’s command of celestial weapons.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:7
- fig:8
- fig:9
- fig:10
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
- ev:11
- ev:12
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: sacrifice threatened by hostile beings
taxonomy_refs:
- sacrifice
basis: The passage centers on a rite or sacrifice that demons Mārīcha and Suvāhu
are sent to trouble and impede, prompting the request for Rāma’s protection.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:5
confidence: high
cautions: The passage gives the conflict around the sacrifice but does not describe
the ritual acts themselves.
- id: motif:2
label: young hero’s compelled departure under sage guidance
taxonomy_refs:
- departure
basis: The king resists sending young Rāma away, while Vasiṣṭha urges him to let
Rāma go with Viśvāmitra, who will protect and arm him.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:7
- ev:9
- ev:10
- ev:11
confidence: medium
cautions: The actual departure is urged but not completed within this excerpt.
- id: motif:3
label: royal truth and lineage obligation
taxonomy_refs:
- royal_legitimacy
basis: Viśvāmitra and Vasiṣṭha argue that the king’s royal lineage requires him
to honor his promise and avoid staining his race or losing merit.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:9
confidence: high
cautions: This is a duty-and-lineage motif rather than a full accession or kingship
legitimation scene.
- id: motif:4
label: divine or celestial weapons bestowed on the hero
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Vasiṣṭha says Viśvāmitra knows celestial arms and will yield them to Rāma,
enabling him to rout the fiends.
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
- ev:12
confidence: high
cautions: No available taxonomy reference exactly matches the celestial-weapon-bestowal
pattern.
- id: motif:5
label: boon-born or hard-won sons
taxonomy_refs:
- miraculous_child
- sacred_birth
basis: The king says his sons came to cheer his old age as a hard-won boon after
nine thousand years.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
confidence: medium
cautions: The excerpt mentions the sons as a boon but does not narrate their conception
or birth.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: quote
locator: lines 3820-3831
quote_or_summary: "“My son is but a child... This year he will be just sixteen.”"
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short quotation used.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 3832-3849
quote_or_summary: The king offers to bring his army, fight the night-roaming demons
himself, and ensure the sacrifice is completed free from hindrance.
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 3850-3870
quote_or_summary: The king says he cannot live without Rāma and that his sons came
in old age as a hard-won boon; Rāma is especially dear to him.
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 3881-3892
quote_or_summary: Viśvāmitra describes Rāvaṇ as a giant of Pulastya’s race, favored
by the Eternal Sire, powerful, cruel, and surrounded by giant bands.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:5
type: quote
locator: lines 3893-3898
quote_or_summary: "“This Rávaṇ’s dread commands impel / Two demons... Márícha and
Suváhu... / To trouble and impede the rite.”"
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short quotation used.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: lines 3900-3921
quote_or_summary: The king says gods, spirits, heavenly bards, birds, and snakes
fear Rāvaṇ, then refuses to let his young child go against Mārīcha and Suvāhu.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:7
type: quote
locator: Canto XXIII, opening speech
quote_or_summary: "“Didst thou, O King, a promise make, / And wishest now thy word
to break?”"
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short quotation used.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: Canto XXIII, after Viśvāmitra’s rebuke
quote_or_summary: As Viśvāmitra is moved with rage, the earth rocks and reels, and
fear comes upon the immortals.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:9
type: summary
locator: Canto XXIII, Vasiṣṭha’s counsel on royal duty
quote_or_summary: Vasiṣṭha tells the king, born of Ikṣvāku’s line and famed as just
and true, to perform his duty, keep his vow, and avoid losing merit.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:10
type: summary
locator: Canto XXIII, Vasiṣṭha’s assurance of protection
quote_or_summary: Vasiṣṭha says Rāma should go and need not fear the demons because
Kuśik’s son will shield him.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:11
type: summary
locator: Canto XXIII, celestial arms passage
quote_or_summary: Vasiṣṭha says Viśvāmitra knows celestial arms concealed even from
gods, received them from Kriśāśva, and will yield them to Rāma to rout the fiends.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:12
type: summary
locator: Canto XXIII, genealogy of weapons
quote_or_summary: 'The arms are described through Jayā and Vijayā: fifty sons of
Jayā came to subdue demons, and fifty children of Vijayā, called Sanhāras, are
mighty and hard to check.'
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: Literal extraction is based directly on the provided English passage. Motif
labels are cautious and limited to patterns evident in the excerpt; no external
comparison claims are made.
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. Empty comparison_claims indicates that the passage does not itself make a cross-traditional comparison.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:hindu-ramayana-griffith-gutenberg__l3820-l3990
passage_sha256=ce66cf80532555f6d5b61dfb52260f76c38dcb06ff86b6b6151510d84a705e1f