batch.motif.hindu-ramayana-griffith-gutenberg-l43568-l43738
---
record_id: batch.motif.hindu-ramayana-griffith-gutenberg-l43568-l43738
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
passage_locator:
label: Canto XLV. The Departure. / Canto XLVII. The Return. / Canto L. The Enchanted
Cave. / Canto LII. The Exit.; lines 43568-43738
start: '43568'
end: '43738'
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: Hanumán recounts Ráma’s loss of Sítá to Rávaṇ and the Vánars’ southern
search under Sugríva’s command. Exhausted near the ocean, they entered a dark
cave, were fed by an ascetic woman, and asked her to release them before Sugríva’s
deadline. She used ascetic power to lead them out after they closed their eyes.
Returned to Vindhya and the sea, the Vánars despaired over their failed mission;
Angad proposed fasting to death, while Tára advised taking refuge in the enchanted
cave.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Ráma came to Daṇḍak forest with his brother and wife, and Rávaṇ stole his
wife from there.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Sugríva sent the Vánars to aid Ráma by searching for the stolen lady and the
fiend in the southern region.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: The Vánars reached the ocean shore, became exhausted by hunger, and noticed
a dark opening in the ground covered by creeping plants.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: Swans and mallards came from the recess with water on their wings, suggesting
water inside the cave.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:5
text: The Vánars entered the cave together, holding one another’s hands and moving
through its maze-like grove.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:6
text: The ascetic woman fed the Vánars and preserved them when they were near death
from need.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:7
text: Hanumán asked the ascetic woman to release them from the cave because Sugríva’s
allotted time had expired and their task was still unfinished.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:8
text: The ascetic woman said few living beings could return from the cave to daylight,
but she would free the Vánars through the power of penance, fasting, and holy
rite.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:9
text: The Vánars closed their eyes as instructed and were quickly led through the
cavern to Vindhya’s hill and the sea near Praśravaṇ.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: obs:10
text: After leaving the cave, the Vánars saw the ocean, described as Varuṇ’s seat,
and grieved because days had passed with nothing achieved.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:11
text: Angad declared that the deadline had passed and proposed that the Vánars abstain
from food and die by the ocean rather than face Sugríva’s wrath.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:12
text: The Vánars agreed that Sugríva would likely punish their failed and delayed
search with death.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: obs:13
text: Tára advised the Vánars to dwell in the ample cavern, where springs, fruit,
and flowering trees were available and where a magic-made vault would protect
them.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Ráma
description: A prince whose wife was stolen by Rávaṇ and whose sorrow over Sítá
motivates the search.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:9
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Sítá / Ráma’s spouse
description: Ráma’s wife, called the lady or Sítá, whom Rávaṇ stole and whom the
Vánars seek to restore.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:9
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Rávaṇ
description: The giant or fiend who stole Ráma’s spouse from Daṇḍak forest.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Sugríva
description: The Vánar king who ordered the search and whose anger the Vánars fear
after the deadline expires.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:4
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Vánar band
description: The group sent south to find Sítá and Rávaṇ; they enter and leave the
cave, then despair over their failed mission.
role_refs:
- role:5
- role:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:9
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Hanumán
description: The Vánar leader who recounts the search and asks the ascetic woman
for release from the cave.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Ascetic dame / holy votaress
description: A pious ascetic woman who provides food and frees the Vánars from the
cave by ascetic power.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: Angad
description: The royal Vánar prince and leader who declares despair and proposes
fasting to death by the ocean.
role_refs:
- role:8
- role:10
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: fig:9
name_or_label: Tára
description: A speaker who tries to cheer the Vánars and proposes refuge in the
enchanted cavern.
role_refs:
- role:11
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: fig:10
name_or_label: Varuṇ
description: The deity associated with the ocean, which is described as the seat
of his reign.
role_refs:
- role:12
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
roles:
- id: role:1
label: bereaved husband and ally seeking restoration
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The Vánars aid Ráma so that the stolen lady may be restored to him; later
Ráma’s thoughts are said to yearn for Sítá.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:9
- id: role:2
label: stolen beloved
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Rávaṇ stole Ráma’s spouse, and the Vánars search so she may be restored uninjured.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:3
label: abductor
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The passage states that Rávaṇ stole Ráma’s spouse from the forest.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:4
label: sovereign taskmaster
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: Sugríva orders the search, imposes a time limit, and is feared as a stern
king who will punish failure.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:4
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: role:5
label: search party
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: The Vánars wander through the southern land searching for the lady and the
fiend.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: role:6
label: leader and petitioner
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: Hanumán leads the Vánar band and asks the ascetic woman to release them from
the cave.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: role:7
label: hospitality giver and supernatural rescuer
assigned_to:
- fig:7
basis: The ascetic woman feeds the Vánars and frees them from the cave through penance,
fasting, and holy rite.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: role:8
label: despairing prince
assigned_to:
- fig:8
basis: Angad, described as the royal prince, laments the missed deadline and proposes
death by fasting.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: role:9
label: suppliants
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: Hanumán calls the Vánars suppliants when requesting release from the ascetic
woman.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:10
label: counsel speaker
assigned_to:
- fig:8
basis: Angad rises and addresses the Vánar chieftains with counsel after their return
to the sea.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: role:11
label: refuge counselor
assigned_to:
- fig:9
basis: Tára urges the Vánars to stop despairing and to live in the cavern for safety
and ease.
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: role:12
label: ocean-associated deity
assigned_to:
- fig:10
basis: The ocean is described as the awful seat of Varuṇ’s reign.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: dark cave and cavern
literal_form: An opening in the ground, gloomy behind creeping plants, leading into
a mazy cavern and wondrous vault.
associated_figures:
- fig:5
- fig:6
- fig:7
- fig:9
taxonomy_refs:
- cave
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:5
- ev:10
- id: sym:2
label: water inside and outside the cave
literal_form: Drops on birds’ wings, water springs in the cavern, and the boundless
ocean by Praśravaṇ.
associated_figures:
- fig:5
- fig:10
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:10
- id: sym:3
label: trees, creepers, and grove
literal_form: Creeping plants over the cave opening, a grove within the cave, trees
and creepers on Vindhya, and flowering spring trees.
associated_figures:
- fig:5
- fig:9
taxonomy_refs:
- tree
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:10
- id: sym:4
label: Vindhya hill
literal_form: Vindhya’s hill with valleys full of trees and creepers, seen after
the cave exit.
associated_figures:
- fig:5
- fig:7
taxonomy_refs:
- mountain
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: sym:5
label: closed eyes
literal_form: The Vánars place their fingers on their eyes before being led out
of the cavern.
associated_figures:
- fig:5
- fig:7
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: sym:6
label: fasting unto death
literal_form: Angad proposes abstaining from food and dying by the ocean’s edge.
associated_figures:
- fig:5
- fig:8
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Recounting the stolen spouse and southern search
summary: Hanumán explains that Rávaṇ stole Ráma’s spouse and that Sugríva sent the
Vánars south to find her and the fiend.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: scene:2
label: Entry into the dark cave
summary: Exhausted at the ocean shore, the Vánars find a dark, plant-covered opening
with water birds emerging, then enter the cave hand in hand and move through its
maze.
figure_refs:
- fig:5
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: scene:3
label: Hospitality and request for release
summary: The ascetic woman feeds the Vánars, refuses repayment, and hears Hanumán’s
plea for release because the mission deadline has expired.
figure_refs:
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
- fig:7
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: scene:4
label: Supernatural exit from the cavern
summary: The ascetic woman says return to daylight is nearly impossible for the
living, but frees the Vánars by ascetic power after they close their eyes; they
emerge near Vindhya and the sea.
figure_refs:
- fig:5
- fig:7
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:4
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: scene:5
label: Despair beside the ocean
summary: The Vánars look upon the ocean, grieve over their failed mission, and are
further saddened by the sight of spring trees.
figure_refs:
- fig:5
- fig:10
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: scene:6
label: Angad’s proposal to fast and die
summary: Angad argues that the deadline has passed, Sugríva will punish failure,
and death by fasting at the ocean is preferable to execution.
figure_refs:
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:8
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: scene:7
label: Tára’s proposal of cavern refuge
summary: Tára urges the Vánars to live in the enchanted cavern, where springs, fruit,
and flowering trees offer comfort and magical security from enemies.
figure_refs:
- fig:5
- fig:9
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: stolen beloved prompting a search quest
taxonomy_refs:
- stolen_beloved
- mystical_quest
basis: Rávaṇ steals Ráma’s wife, and Sugríva sends the Vánars south to find and
restore her.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
confidence: high
cautions: The passage gives only a summary of the abduction, not the abduction scene
itself.
- id: motif:2
label: descent into a mazy enchanted cave
taxonomy_refs:
- labyrinth_initiation
basis: The Vánars enter a dark ground opening, clasp hands, and pass through maze-like
interior spaces before needing supernatural help to exit.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:5
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage does not explicitly call the event an initiation; the motif
label is based on the cave-maze structure and ordeal.
- id: motif:3
label: supernatural guide enables return to daylight
taxonomy_refs:
- return
- hero_descent
basis: The ascetic woman says few living beings can return from the cave, then uses
ascetic power and a closed-eye instruction to bring the Vánars back to the outer
world.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
confidence: medium
cautions: The figures are a search party rather than a single hero, and the passage
frames the event as rescue rather than explicit underworld return.
- id: motif:4
label: hospitality in a hidden otherworldly refuge
taxonomy_refs:
- sacred_exchange
basis: The ascetic woman feeds and preserves the starving Vánars, and Hanumán asks
how they may repay her; she says she needs no service.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
confidence: medium
cautions: The exchange remains incomplete because the ascetic woman declines repayment.
- id: motif:5
label: despair after failed quest and chosen death by fasting
taxonomy_refs:
- sacrifice
basis: After the failed search and missed deadline, Angad proposes abstaining from
food and dying rather than facing the king’s wrath.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:9
confidence: low
cautions: The passage describes a proposed death by fasting, not a ritual sacrifice;
taxonomy fit is weak.
- id: motif:6
label: enchanted cave as secure refuge from worldly danger
taxonomy_refs:
- labyrinth_initiation
basis: Tára proposes returning to or dwelling in the cavern, where magic, springs,
fruit, and flowering trees would protect the Vánars from enemies.
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
confidence: medium
cautions: This is proposed counsel rather than an action completed within the passage.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 43568-43577
quote_or_summary: Ráma came to Daṇḍak forest with his brother and wife; the giant
Rávaṇ stole his spouse, and Sugríva sent the Vánars to aid Ráma so she could be
restored.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 43578-43589
quote_or_summary: The Vánars search the southern region, reach the ocean shore,
collapse from hunger, and see a dark plant-covered opening in the ground from
which wet swans and mallards emerge.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 43590-43597
quote_or_summary: The Vánars enter the cave portal holding one another’s hands,
press through maze-like groves, and say the woman has fed and preserved them when
they were about to die.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 43598-43613
quote_or_summary: The ascetic woman says she needs no service; Hanumán asks her
to aid them by granting release because Sugríva’s allotted time has expired and
their task remains unfinished.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 43614-43623
quote_or_summary: The ascetic woman says the living scarcely return from the cave
to daylight, but she will free them through penance, fasting, and holy rite; she
instructs them to close their eyes.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: lines 43624-43633
quote_or_summary: The Vánars cover their eyes and are quickly led through the cavern;
the woman identifies Vindhya’s hill and the sea-side Praśravaṇ before withdrawing
into the cave.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: lines 43634-43649
quote_or_summary: The Vánars behold the boundless ocean, the seat of Varuṇ’s reign,
grieve that days have passed with nothing achieved, and are saddened by spring
trees.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: lines 43650-43678
quote_or_summary: Angad tells the Vánars that the king’s deadline has passed, failure
to obey means death, and they should abstain from food and die by the ocean rather
than be slain by Sugríva.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:9
type: summary
locator: lines 43679-43689
quote_or_summary: The Vánars approve Angad’s despair, saying Sugríva is hard and
stern, Ráma longs for Sítá, and their failed delayed search will cost their lives.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summary generated from supplied passage.
- id: ev:10
type: summary
locator: lines 43690-43704
quote_or_summary: Tára urges the Vánars not to despair but to dwell in the ample
magic-made cavern, with springs, fruit, flowering trees, and protection from enemies.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summary generated from supplied passage.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: uncertain
notes: Literal extraction is strong because the passage is explicit. Motif assignments
beyond the stolen-beloved search are more interpretive, especially labyrinth-initiation
and sacrifice-related labels.
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 were added because the passage does not itself support a specific comparison to another tradition or corpus.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:hindu-ramayana-griffith-gutenberg__l43568-l43738
passage_sha256=6a5a9393f2e05927a0d7b74def0312c8ee48860557f20f7c45251d4592dcf4ad