batch.motif.hindu-ramayana-griffith-gutenberg-l41538-l41672
---
record_id: batch.motif.hindu-ramayana-griffith-gutenberg-l41538-l41672
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
passage_locator:
label: Canto XIV. The Challenge. / Canto XXVI. The Coronation. / Canto XXVIII. The
Rains. / Canto XXXI. The Envoy.; lines 41538-41672
start: '41538'
end: '41672'
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: Lakshmaṇ, angered by Sugrīva's delay in aiding Rāma, threatens punishment
for broken faith. Rāma restrains him and instructs him to speak gently while rebuking
Sugrīva. Lakshmaṇ goes to Kishkindhā with his bow, terrifying the Vānars, who
arm themselves with rocks and trees and gather by the city. Sugrīva remains with
Tārā and does not hear the messengers. Lakshmaṇ, described through images of fire
and a snake, sends Angad to tell the king that he waits at the city gates for
an audience. Angad enters the city and reports the danger to Sugrīva, Rumā, and
Tārā.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Lakshmaṇ says that if the Vānar king breaks his word, loss of royal power
should repay the wrong, and he proposes that Báli’s son search for Rāma’s consort
with brave Vānar chiefs.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Rāma tells Lakshmaṇ that a true hero masters anger, should avoid harsh words,
and should address Sugrīva with gentle speech about failed faith and wasted time.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: Lakshmaṇ obeys Rāma and goes toward the Vānar royal town with his bow bent.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:4
text: As Lakshmaṇ advances, trees are cast down and stones are shattered beneath
his feet.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:5
text: Kishkindhā is described as a city set deep among steep hills, with streets
and open squares lined with Vānars.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:6
text: The Vānars, frightened by Lakshmaṇ’s angry appearance, flee to Sugrīva’s council
hall and report that Lakshmaṇ is approaching in rage.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:7
text: Sugrīva is with Tārā in a distant bower and does not hear the messengers.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:8
text: Vānar warriors gather outside the city, armed with trees, rocks, and their
own strength, forming a defensive array beyond the moat.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:9
text: Lakshmaṇ’s wrath is described with fire imagery and then with a snake comparison
in which his bow is likened to an expanded hood and his arrowhead to a tongue.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:10
text: Lakshmaṇ tells Angad to inform the king that he waits at the city gates for
an audience and asks whether the king will aid his friend.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: obs:11
text: Angad, frightened and grieving, goes back through the gates and reports the
danger to Sugrīva, Rumā, and Tārā, bowing to them reverently.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Rāma
description: Prince of men and lord of Raghu’s line, whose sorrow over his consort
motivates Lakshmaṇ’s mission.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:9
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Lakshmaṇ
description: Rāma’s brother and envoy, armed with a bow and inflamed by wrath at
Sugrīva’s delay.
role_refs:
- role:3
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Sugrīva
description: Vānar king accused of failing faith and wasting time; he is in a distant
bower with Tārā when messengers seek him.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:6
- ev:9
- ev:10
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Angad
description: A prince who receives Lakshmaṇ’s message and carries the fearful report
to Sugrīva, Rumā, and Tārā.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Tārā
description: A woman held by Sugrīva in his arms in the distant bower; Angad later
clasps her feet and repeats the tale.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:10
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Rumā
description: A woman named with Sugrīva as a hearer of Angad’s doubts and fears.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Vānars
description: Vānar chiefs, warriors, and messengers who are frightened by Lakshmaṇ
and gather to defend Kishkindhā.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:7
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: Rāma’s consort
description: The consort whom Lakshmaṇ says should be traced by Báli’s son and brave
Vānar chiefs.
role_refs:
- role:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:9
name_or_label: Báli’s son
description: A figure proposed by Lakshmaṇ as one who should trace Rāma’s consort
with brave Vānar chiefs.
role_refs:
- role:10
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
roles:
- id: role:1
label: wronged ally seeking aid
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Rāma’s word concerns whether Sugrīva will aid his friend after delay and
failed faith.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:9
- id: role:2
label: moderator of anger
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Rāma restrains Lakshmaṇ from wrath and commands gentle speech.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:3
label: wrathful envoy
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Lakshmaṇ is sent to Sugrīva’s city while furious and delivers a demand for
audience at the gates.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: role:4
label: loyal brother
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Lakshmaṇ’s wrath is tied to his brother’s woe and he obeys Rāma’s command.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:5
label: delaying king under rebuke
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: Sugrīva is to be charged with failing faith and wasting time, and Lakshmaṇ
asks whether he will aid his friend.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:9
- id: role:6
label: intermediary messenger
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: Lakshmaṇ commands Angad to carry his message to the king, and Angad reports
it inside the city.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
- id: role:7
label: palace hearer of alarm
assigned_to:
- fig:5
- fig:6
basis: Angad reports his fears to Rumā and Tārā along with the king.
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: role:8
label: terrified defenders
assigned_to:
- fig:7
basis: The Vānars flee in fear and then gather armed beyond the city moat.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:7
- id: role:9
label: absent beloved sought
assigned_to:
- fig:8
basis: Lakshmaṇ refers to the need to trace Rāma’s consort.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:10
label: proposed search leader
assigned_to:
- fig:9
basis: Lakshmaṇ says Báli’s son should trace Rāma’s consort with brave Vānar chiefs.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: bow of wrath
literal_form: Lakshmaṇ’s bent bow, compared to Indra’s bow in the sky and later
to a snake’s expanded hood.
associated_figures:
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:8
- id: sym:2
label: fire of fury
literal_form: Lakshmaṇ’s anger is compared to fire, including oil feeding flame
and flame flashing through smoke.
associated_figures:
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs:
- fire
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:8
- id: sym:3
label: snake-warrior image
literal_form: Lakshmaṇ is likened to a fierce snake; his bow is the hood, his shaft-head
the tongue, and his might the venom.
associated_figures:
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs:
- serpent
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: sym:4
label: mountain height image
literal_form: Lakshmaṇ with his bow is compared to Mandar’s mountain lifting a curved
peak into the sky.
associated_figures:
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs:
- mountain
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:5
label: trees as weapons and obstacles
literal_form: Trees are cast down on Lakshmaṇ’s path and are also seized or borne
by Vānars as weapons.
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:7
taxonomy_refs:
- tree
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:7
- id: sym:6
label: city gate threshold
literal_form: Lakshmaṇ waits at the city gates for audience while Angad passes back
through the gates to report.
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:4
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
- id: sym:7
label: moat and fortified city wall
literal_form: Kishkindhā is defended by walls and a moat, with Vānar chiefs arrayed
beyond it.
associated_figures:
- fig:7
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Rāma restrains Lakshmaṇ’s wrath
summary: Lakshmaṇ threatens punishment for broken faith, but Rāma instructs him
to master anger and rebuke Sugrīva with gentle speech.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:8
- fig:9
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: scene:2
label: Lakshmaṇ approaches Kishkindhā
summary: Lakshmaṇ obeys Rāma and moves toward the Vānar city with a bent bow, his
force casting down trees and shattering stones.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:7
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:4
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: scene:3
label: Vānars panic and fortify the city
summary: Vānar chiefs flee from Lakshmaṇ’s angry appearance, report to the council
hall, and later gather armed outside the fortified city.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:5
- fig:7
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:5
- sym:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: scene:4
label: Lakshmaṇ sends Angad to the king
summary: Lakshmaṇ stands in wrath, described through fire and snake imagery, and
commands Angad to tell Sugrīva that he waits at the gates and asks whether Sugrīva
will aid his friend.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:3
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: scene:5
label: Angad reports the alarm inside the city
summary: Angad, fearful at Lakshmaṇ’s words, returns through the gates and reports
the danger to Sugrīva, Rumā, and Tārā with gestures of reverence.
figure_refs:
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: broken alliance and demand for fulfilled aid
taxonomy_refs:
- covenant
basis: The passage centers on Sugrīva’s failure of faith and Lakshmaṇ’s demand that
the king aid Rāma as a friend.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:9
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage uses language of word, faith, and friendship rather than a
formal covenant ritual.
- id: motif:2
label: royal legitimacy conditioned on keeping faith
taxonomy_refs:
- royal_legitimacy
basis: Lakshmaṇ says the Vānar who breaks his word may lose royal power and be unfit
to reign.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
confidence: high
cautions: This is a threat within dialogue, not a completed deposition in the passage.
- id: motif:3
label: search for the stolen or absent beloved
taxonomy_refs:
- stolen_beloved
basis: Lakshmaṇ refers to tracing Rāma’s consort with Vānar chiefs, and his mission
is tied to Rāma’s woe.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:9
confidence: medium
cautions: This passage mentions the search but does not narrate the abduction or
identify the consort by name.
- id: motif:4
label: wrathful envoy at the city gate
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Lakshmaṇ comes as an armed and angry envoy, waits at the city gates, and
sends Angad to request audience with the king.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:8
- ev:9
confidence: high
cautions: No supplied taxonomy reference directly corresponds to this diplomatic
confrontation pattern.
- id: motif:5
label: heroic restraint of anger through counsel
taxonomy_refs:
- wisdom
basis: Rāma teaches that the hero who tames anger is worthiest of the heroic name
and redirects Lakshmaṇ from violence to speech.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
confidence: medium
cautions: The wisdom motif is ethical and behavioral here, not a separate wisdom
quest or teaching cycle.
comparison_claims:
- id: claim:1
claim: 'The passage explicitly frames Lakshmaṇ’s battle posture through serpent
imagery: bow as hood, arrowhead as tongue, and might as venom.'
claim_level: visual_similarity
target: serpent warrior imagery
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: high
limitations: This is an internal simile in the passage; it does not by itself show
historical contact, common inheritance, or a broader serpent cult motif.
- id: claim:2
claim: The passage explicitly compares Lakshmaṇ’s fury to fire, using flame and
smoke imagery to characterize anger.
claim_level: visual_similarity
target: fire as anger imagery
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:8
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: high
limitations: The comparison is metaphorical and local to Lakshmaṇ’s emotional state.
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 41540-41561
quote_or_summary: Lakshmaṇ says a Vānar who breaks his word should lose royal power;
if joy has blinded him, he is unfit to reign; he also says Báli’s son should trace
Rāma’s consort with brave Vānar chiefs.
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 41562-41577
quote_or_summary: Rāma tells Lakshmaṇ that one who tames anger is the worthiest
hero, commands him not to be led astray by wrath, and instructs him to use gentle
speech while charging Sugrīva with failed faith and wasted time.
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 41578-41591
quote_or_summary: Lakshmaṇ obeys Rāma and seeks the Vānar royal town, carrying a
dread bent bow; his brother’s wrath and sorrow inflame him, trees fall, and stones
shatter beneath his feet.
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 41592-41596
quote_or_summary: Lakshmaṇ reaches Kishkindhā, a city deep among steep hills, where
streets and open squares are lined with Vānars.
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 41597-41612
quote_or_summary: Vānar chiefs approach, then seize rocks and trees when they see
Lakshmaṇ; his anger increases like fire fed by oil, and the Vānars flee in terror
to report him to Sugrīva.
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 41613-41617
quote_or_summary: Sugrīva, untroubled, holds Tārā in his arms in a distant bower
and does not hear the clamorous messengers.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: lines 41618-41635
quote_or_summary: Vānar warriors of great strength gather in a trembling crowd;
Lakshmaṇ sees their tree-armed multitude, while the city walls, moat, and armed
formation make the city difficult to assault.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: lines 41636-41648
quote_or_summary: Lakshmaṇ’s eyes flash red and fury breaks out like flame through
smoke; he is compared to a fierce snake, with bow as hood, shaft-head as tongue,
and might as venom.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:9
type: summary
locator: lines 41649-41661
quote_or_summary: Prince Angad sees Lakshmaṇ’s anger; Lakshmaṇ tells him to tell
the king that Lakshmaṇ waits at the city gates for audience, heavy with Rāma’s
woes, and asks whether the king will aid his friend.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:10
type: summary
locator: lines 41662-41672
quote_or_summary: Angad recognizes Lakshmaṇ, trembles at his angry words, returns
through the city gates, reports his fear to Sugrīva and Rumā, bows to Rumā, Sugrīva,
and Tārā, and repeats the tale.
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: medium
notes: Figures, scenes, and images are directly grounded in the supplied passage.
Motif labels are cautious because the excerpt presumes wider Ramayana context
but only briefly states the alliance failure and search for Rāma’s consort.
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: |-
Used only supplied passage text and metadata. Taxonomy references were limited to the provided lists.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:hindu-ramayana-griffith-gutenberg__l41538-l41672
passage_sha256=1bdecaaff75ec94b681c2a6b9249bc5b22103c406b17c94da18a9d0be7b5bba5