batch.motif.hindu-ramayana-griffith-gutenberg-l4399-l4524
---
record_id: batch.motif.hindu-ramayana-griffith-gutenberg-l4399-l4524
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
passage_locator:
label: Canto XV. The Nectar. / Canto XIX. The Birth Of The Princes. / Canto XXIV.
The Spells. / Canto XXV. The Hermitage Of Love.; lines 4399-4524
start: '4399'
end: '4524'
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: Ráma draws his bow in the forest, awakening and provoking the demoness
Táḍaká. She attacks with dust, stones, and magical transformations. Ráma and Lakshmaṇ
maim her; at Viśvámitra’s urging Ráma kills her before twilight makes her harder
to slay. Indra and the gods praise the deed and instruct Viśvámitra to bestow
heavenly weapons on Ráma. The night is spent in Táḍaká’s wood, which is described
as freed from its curse.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Ráma draws his bow so strongly that its sound rings through the sky and frightens
the forest deer.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Táḍaká hears the bowstring’s echo, rises from sleep, and comes toward the
place in fury.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: Ráma identifies Táḍaká as a hard-to-strike demon protected by magic power
and says he intends to check her by cutting off her nose and ears rather than
killing her.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: Táḍaká rushes toward Ráma with huge arms raised, while the seer urges the
sons of Raghu to fight.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:5
text: Táḍaká raises a dark cloud of dust and uses magic power to rain stones on
the princes.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:6
text: Ráma cuts off Táḍaká’s hands with arrows, and Lakshmaṇ cuts off her ears and
nose.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:7
text: Táḍaká assumes many shapes by magic skill and then vanishes from sight.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:8
text: Viśvámitra tells Ráma that mercy is enough, that Táḍaká disturbs holy rites,
and that such foes are hard to slay at the twilight junction of night and day.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:9
text: Ráma shoots toward the sound of the hidden foe and then strikes Táḍaká in
the heart with a crescent-shaped dart, causing her death.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:10
text: Indra and the gods praise Ráma’s deed and ask Viśvámitra to bestow heavenly
weapons on him.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:11
text: Viśvámitra kisses Ráma on the forehead, and the party spends the night in
the wood of Táḍaká.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:12
text: The grove is described as shining happily after being freed from its curse.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Ráma
description: Son of Raghu and son of Daśaratha; warrior who draws the bow, fights
Táḍaká, kills her, and receives divine praise.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Lakshmaṇ
description: Ráma’s brother, addressed during the confrontation and participant
in maiming Táḍaká.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Táḍaká
description: A vast, hideous demoness with magic power who attacks the princes with
dust, stones, and changing forms, and is killed by Ráma.
role_refs:
- role:3
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:6
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Viśvámitra / Gádhi’s son
description: The seer who urges the princes to fight, counsels Ráma to kill Táḍaká
before twilight, and is asked by the gods to give Ráma heavenly weapons.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:5
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Indra / the Thousand-eyed / Lord who rules the sky
description: Heavenly ruler who sees Táḍaká dead, praises Ráma, and calls on Viśvámitra
to bestow heavenly arms.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: The Gods / Immortals
description: Heavenly beings who honor Ráma’s deed and join Indra in urging that
heavenly arms be granted to him.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
roles:
- id: role:1
label: monster-slaying prince
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Ráma confronts and finally kills the demoness Táḍaká with a crescent-shaped
dart.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: role:2
label: heroic brother-companion
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Lakshmaṇ accompanies Ráma and cuts off Táḍaká’s ears and nose during the
fight.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:3
label: demon adversary
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: Táḍaká attacks the princes and is called a fiend, demon, and disturber of
holy rites.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:5
- id: role:4
label: magical shapeshifter
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: Táḍaká uses magic power, assumes many shapes, and vanishes from sight.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: role:5
label: sage mentor and ritual authority
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: Viśvámitra directs the fight, explains the danger of twilight, and is entrusted
to bestow heavenly arms.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:5
- ev:7
- id: role:6
label: recipient of divine weapons
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The gods instruct Viśvámitra to bestow heavenly arms on Ráma.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: role:7
label: divine approver
assigned_to:
- fig:5
- fig:6
basis: Indra and the gods praise Ráma’s deed and request a favor for him.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: sounding bow
literal_form: Ráma’s bow and its loud string-clang
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:2
label: stony shower
literal_form: Stones rained down by Táḍaká’s magic power
associated_figures:
- fig:3
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:3
label: changing shapes
literal_form: Táḍaká’s thousand forms and disappearance by magic skill
associated_figures:
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:4
label: twilight junction
literal_form: The joint of night and day when giant foes are hard to slay
associated_figures:
- fig:4
- fig:3
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: sym:5
label: crescent dart
literal_form: Ráma’s crescent-shaped arrow that strikes Táḍaká’s heart
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: sym:6
label: heavenly arms
literal_form: Divine weapons entrusted to Viśvámitra and to be bestowed on Ráma
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: sym:7
label: cursed grove restored
literal_form: Táḍaká’s wood shining after being freed from its curse
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:4
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Bow-clang awakens Táḍaká
summary: Ráma draws his bow, the sound frightens the forest animals, and Táḍaká
wakes and comes in anger.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Initial confrontation and magical attack
summary: Ráma describes Táḍaká’s dreadful magical form and intends to maim her;
she rushes at him, raises dust, and rains stones.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: scene:3
label: Maiming and shapeshifting
summary: Ráma cuts off Táḍaká’s hands, Lakshmaṇ cuts off her ears and nose, and
she changes shapes and vanishes.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: scene:4
label: Counsel to kill before twilight
summary: Viśvámitra warns Ráma that Táḍaká should be killed without delay because
such foes are harder to slay at twilight.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: scene:5
label: Ráma kills Táḍaká
summary: Ráma shoots by sound and strikes Táḍaká in the heart with a crescent-shaped
dart; she falls dead.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: scene:6
label: Divine praise and promised weapons
summary: Indra and the gods praise Ráma and instruct Viśvámitra to bestow heavenly
arms on him for future deeds.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: scene:7
label: Night in the freed wood
summary: Viśvámitra blesses Ráma, the group stays in Táḍaká’s wood, and the grove
is said to be freed from its curse.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:4
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: hero slays a monstrous magical adversary
taxonomy_refs:
- initiation
basis: Under the direction of a sage, Ráma confronts and kills Táḍaká, a magical
demoness who threatens holy rites.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:5
- ev:6
confidence: high
cautions: The passage presents the battle as part of Ráma’s development, but does
not explicitly call it an initiation.
- id: motif:2
label: shapeshifting adversary in battle
taxonomy_refs:
- shapeshifter
basis: Táḍaká uses magic, assumes many shapes, and vanishes while fighting the princes.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
confidence: high
cautions: Only Táḍaká’s changing forms are described; the exact forms are not specified.
- id: motif:3
label: divine reward of sacred weapons after heroic deed
taxonomy_refs:
- sacred_exchange
basis: After Táḍaká’s death, Indra and the gods praise Ráma and ask Viśvámitra to
grant him heavenly arms.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage reports the divine instruction to bestow weapons, not the
actual transfer within this excerpt.
- id: motif:4
label: royal hero receives divine approval
taxonomy_refs:
- royal_legitimacy
basis: Ráma, identified as Raghu’s son and monarch’s seed, is honored by Indra and
the gods after defeating Táḍaká.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
confidence: medium
cautions: The approval concerns Ráma’s deed and future task; explicit kingship legitimation
is not stated in this passage.
- id: motif:5
label: curse lifted from a wilderness by monster’s defeat
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: After Táḍaká is killed, the grove is described as shining and freed from
the curse that lay on it.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
confidence: high
cautions: The passage does not explain the origin or terms of the curse.
- id: motif:6
label: dangerous threshold time in combat
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Viśvámitra warns that giant foes are hard to slay at the joint of night and
day, prompting immediate action.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
confidence: high
cautions: The passage gives the rule for this foe-type but does not expand it into
a broader cosmological account.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 4399-4410
quote_or_summary: Ráma draws his bow; the sounding string rings through the sky,
frightening deer, and Táḍaká hears the echo, wakes, and comes in fury.
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 4411-4428
quote_or_summary: Ráma points out Táḍaká’s dreadful form to Lakshmaṇ, describes
her as magically defended, and says he will cut off her nose and ears to check
rather than kill her.
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 4429-4444
quote_or_summary: Táḍaká rushes at Ráma with huge arms raised; the seer urges the
princes to fight; she raises dust and attacks with a magical shower of stones.
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 4445-4458
quote_or_summary: Ráma cuts off Táḍaká’s hands, Lakshmaṇ cuts off her ears and nose,
and she assumes many shapes by magic before vanishing.
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 4459-4474
quote_or_summary: Viśvámitra warns Ráma that mercy is enough, that the fiend disrupts
holy rites, and that giant foes become hard to slay at twilight.
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 4475-4492
quote_or_summary: Ráma shoots toward the sound of Táḍaká, impedes her with arrows,
and strikes her heart with a crescent-shaped dart; she falls dead with blood flowing.
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 4493-4515
quote_or_summary: Indra and the gods praise Ráma’s deed and ask Viśvámitra to give
him heavenly arms once entrusted by Kriśáśva, because he has a future mighty deed
to do for them.
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 4516-4524
quote_or_summary: After the gods depart, Viśvámitra rejoices, kisses Ráma’s forehead,
announces they will stay the night, and the grove is said to shine freed from
its curse.
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 sequence and figures are clear in the provided passage. Motif labels
are candidate abstractions from passage evidence and require human review. No
comparison claims were made because the passage itself does not supply a comparison
to another corpus or tradition.
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 the supplied passage text and metadata; taxonomy references limited to the provided available motif families.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:hindu-ramayana-griffith-gutenberg__l4399-l4524
passage_sha256=f4429660f3f2a09193517a2f39c89d847f8af3e681abf7a4ebab99ac93cf5597