batch.motif.hindu-ramayana-griffith-gutenberg-l38436-l38573
---
record_id: batch.motif.hindu-ramayana-griffith-gutenberg-l38436-l38573
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
passage_locator:
label: Canto LXX. Kabandha. / BOOK IV. / Canto V. The League. / Canto VI. The Tokens.;
lines 38436-38573
start: '38436'
end: '38573'
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: Sugriva recounts to Rama how he waited at a cave while Bali pursued the
demon Mayavi, saw blood flow from the cave, sealed the entrance with a stone,
returned to Kishkindha, and was made king against his will. Bali later emerged,
accused Sugriva publicly of betrayal and usurpation, banished him, and took his
wife. Sugriva asks Rama for protection against Bali, and Rama promises to kill
Bali, free Sugriva's wife, and restore his kingdom.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Sugriva says he kept watch by the cave for a year in obedience to Bali's word.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Sugriva says he saw a stream of blood rush from the cave and then sealed the
entrance with a stone or crag.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: Sugriva says citizens and lords made him king after he returned to Kishkindha,
and he says this was against his will.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: Bali says the demon Mayavi came to Kishkindha by night, challenged him, fled
from him, and entered a cave.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:5
text: Bali says he entered the cave after telling Sugriva to remain at the cave
mouth until the demon was slain.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:6
text: Bali says he slew Mayavi and the demon's kinsmen in the cave, and that the
cave and portal were filled and stained with blood.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:7
text: Bali says the cave mouth was closed, no voice answered when he called Sugriva,
and he burst through the rock barrier to escape.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:8
text: Bali banished Sugriva with only a single robe and took Sugriva's wife from
his side.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:9
text: Sugriva says he roams in fear or dwells on Rishyamuka hill while grieving
for his consort.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:10
text: Sugriva asks Rama to help him and restrain Bali's oppressive arm.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:11
text: Rama promises that his arrows will pierce Bali's heart, that he will free
Sugriva's captive wife, and that he will restore Sugriva's kingdom.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Sugriva
description: Bali's brother; he recounts watching the cave, sealing it, being made
king, then being banished and deprived of his wife.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:2
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Bali
description: Sugriva's brother and the former king; he enters the cave after Mayavi,
later returns, accuses Sugriva, banishes him, and takes his wife.
role_refs:
- role:4
- role:5
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Mayavi
description: A demon and foe who challenges Bali at night, flees to a cave, and
is slain by Bali.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Rama / Raghu's son
description: The good and brave son of Raghu who answers Sugriva and promises to
kill Bali, free Sugriva's wife, and restore the kingdom.
role_refs:
- role:8
- role:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Sugriva's wife / consort
description: Sugriva's wife is torn from his side by Bali and later described by
Rama as captive.
role_refs:
- role:10
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:7
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: citizens, lords, and subjects of Kishkindha
description: They see Sugriva's distress, make him king, and later gather when Bali
summons them.
role_refs:
- role:11
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:8
roles:
- id: role:1
label: brother under accusation
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Bali publicly accuses Sugriva of barring him in the cave and trying to win
the realm.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:8
- id: role:2
label: exiled petitioner
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Sugriva is banished, fears Bali, and asks Rama for assistance.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: role:3
label: temporary king or guardian of the realm
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Sugriva says he ruled only while Bali was absent and held the kingdom as
a trust.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:4
label: returning king
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Bali returns from the cave after killing Mayavi and finds the entrance blocked.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:5
label: accuser of fraternal betrayal
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Bali tells the assembled lords and subjects that Sugriva barred him in and
sought the realm.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: role:6
label: oppressor and wife-taker
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Sugriva says Bali cast him out and took his wife, and asks Rama to restrain
him.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: role:7
label: demonic foe in the cave
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: Mayavi challenges Bali, flees into a cave, and is slain there.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: role:8
label: protector and avenger
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: Rama promises to pierce Bali's heart with his arrows.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: role:9
label: restorer of wife and kingdom
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: Rama promises to free Sugriva's captive wife and give the kingdom back to
him.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: role:10
label: captive or stolen wife
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: Sugriva says his wife was torn from his side, and Rama calls her captive.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:7
- id: role:11
label: kingmakers and public audience
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: They make Sugriva king and later gather when Bali summons them.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:8
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: cave
literal_form: The dark cavern into which Mayavi flees and Bali enters, and whose
mouth Sugriva bars with a stone.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs:
- cave
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: sym:2
label: stone or crag barrier
literal_form: A stone or mountain crag used by Sugriva to bar the cave entrance;
Bali later bursts through the rock barrier.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:4
- id: sym:3
label: blood stream in the cave
literal_form: Blood rushes from the cavern and later is described as filling the
cave and dyeing the portal crimson.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:4
- id: sym:4
label: royal insignia
literal_form: The regal shade and chouries that Sugriva says should be restored
over the rightful lord.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: sym:5
label: Rama's arrows
literal_form: Rama's unfailing shafts that he says will pierce Bali's heart.
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: sym:6
label: Rishyamuka hill
literal_form: The hill where Sugriva says he dwells while fearful and grieving.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Sugriva explains the sealed cave
summary: Sugriva tells Bali that he waited by the cave for a year, saw blood flow
from it, sealed the entrance with a stone, returned to Kishkindha, and was made
king against his will.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:3
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:9
- id: scene:2
label: Bali's account of Mayavi and the cave
summary: Bali tells the assembled lords and subjects that Mayavi challenged him,
fled into a cave, and that Bali entered while instructing Sugriva to wait outside.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:8
- id: scene:3
label: Bali escapes and accuses Sugriva
summary: Bali says he killed Mayavi and his kinsmen, found the cave mouth closed,
called Sugriva without answer, broke through the rock, and concluded that Sugriva
sought the kingdom.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: scene:4
label: Sugriva's banishment and loss of wife
summary: Bali banishes Sugriva, takes his wife, and Sugriva lives in fear and grief,
including on Rishyamuka hill.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:5
symbol_refs:
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: scene:5
label: Sugriva petitions Rama
summary: Sugriva asks Rama to hear his prayer and restrain Bali.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:4
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: scene:6
label: Rama vows to restore Sugriva
summary: Rama promises to kill Bali with his arrows, free Sugriva's captive wife,
and restore the kingdom to him.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:4
- fig:5
symbol_refs:
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: brotherly conflict over kingship
taxonomy_refs:
- sibling_pair
- royal_legitimacy
basis: The passage centers on two brothers, Bali and Sugriva, whose mutual claims
concern the cave incident and the kingship of Kishkindha.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
- ev:8
confidence: high
cautions: The taxonomy terms are broad; the passage presents a fraternal political
conflict rather than a paired birth or twin motif.
- id: motif:2
label: sealed cave and mistaken betrayal
taxonomy_refs:
- cave
basis: Bali enters a cave to pursue Mayavi; Sugriva seals the cave after seeing
blood, while Bali later interprets the seal as deliberate betrayal.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- ev:4
confidence: high
cautions: The available taxonomy includes the symbol 'cave' but not a more specific
motif for mistaken sealing or entrapment.
- id: motif:3
label: stolen or captive wife
taxonomy_refs:
- stolen_beloved
basis: Sugriva says his wife was torn from his side by Bali, and Rama promises to
free the captive wife.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:7
confidence: high
cautions: The passage does not name the wife or describe the taking in detail.
- id: motif:4
label: exiled ruler restored by heroic ally
taxonomy_refs:
- return
- royal_legitimacy
basis: Sugriva is cast out and deprived of kingdom and wife; Rama promises to defeat
Bali and restore both wife and kingdom.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:7
confidence: medium
cautions: The restoration is promised in this passage but not yet accomplished within
the supplied excerpt.
- id: motif:5
label: aid pledged in response to shared suffering
taxonomy_refs:
- covenant
basis: Rama answers Sugriva's petition by saying he knows Sugriva's grief through
equal suffering and pledges to act against Bali.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage contains a promise of aid, but the formal league or reciprocal
terms are not fully shown in the excerpt.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 38436-38455
quote_or_summary: Sugriva says he obeyed Bali's word and waited by the cave for
a year; when he saw blood rush from the cavern, he barred the entrance with a
stone or mountain crag and returned to Kishkindha.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain translation; summarized.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 38456-38477
quote_or_summary: Sugriva says citizens and lords saw his distress, made him king
against his will, and that he held the town, people, lords, lands, and kingdom
in trust for Bali.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain translation; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 38487-38512
quote_or_summary: Bali tells the assembled people that Mayavi challenged him by
night, fled into a cave, and that Bali told Sugriva to remain at the cavern's
mouth while he pursued the demon inside.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain translation; summarized.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 38513-38536
quote_or_summary: Bali says that after a year he slew Mayavi and his kinsmen; the
demon's blood filled the cave and dyed the portal; Bali found the cave closed,
called Sugriva without reply, and burst through the rock barrier.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain translation; summarized.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 38537-38548
quote_or_summary: Bali leaves Sugriva a single robe, sends him into banishment,
takes his wife from his side, and Sugriva roams in fear or dwells on Rishyamuka
hill while sorrowing for his consort.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain translation; summarized.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: lines 38549-38556
quote_or_summary: Sugriva says the bitter hate of brother foes arose from these
events, declares himself faultless, and asks Rama to help him and restrain Bali.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain translation; summarized.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: lines 38557-38571
quote_or_summary: Rama answers that his unfailing arrows will pierce Bali's heart;
he says he understands Sugriva's grief through equal suffering and promises to
free Sugriva's captive wife and give the kingdom back to him.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain translation; summarized.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: lines 38480-38491
quote_or_summary: Bali summons every lord, his subjects gather, and he begins a
public account of Mayavi's challenge and Sugriva's conduct.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain translation; summarized.
- id: ev:9
type: summary
locator: lines 38440-38443
quote_or_summary: Sugriva asks Bali to receive the restored regal shade and chouries
over the rightful lord.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain translation; summarized.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: uncertain
notes: The narrative events and figures are explicit in the passage. Motif assignment
uses only supplied broad taxonomy labels and should be reviewed for specificity.
No comparison claims were added because the passage itself does not make or require
comparative claims beyond the extracted motif candidates.
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: |-
Extraction limited to the supplied passage and metadata; no external Ramayana context added.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:hindu-ramayana-griffith-gutenberg__l38436-l38573
passage_sha256=18051b5918a414817eea2ba8d7e9989d144e60f6b1b825eec5007a76f99f14b8