batch.motif.hindu-ramayana-griffith-gutenberg-l56067-l56092
---
record_id: batch.motif.hindu-ramayana-griffith-gutenberg-l56067-l56092
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
passage_locator:
label: Canto CVIII. The Battle. / Canto CIX. The Battle. / Canto CXIV. Vibhishan
Consecrated. / Canto CXVI. The Meeting.; lines 56067-56092
start: '56067'
end: '56092'
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: Rāma shows no mercy toward the weeping queen. Sītā, called Janak’s child,
faces a piled pyre, circumambulates her lord, worships the gods, and prays to
Fire as universal witness to protect her body if her heart has never strayed from
Rāma. She then enters the flames, and the gathered people cry out.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Rāma is described as stern and without mercy toward the weeping queen.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: No chieftain dares to meet Rāma’s eyes, pray, question, or advise.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: Wood is piled for a pyre, and Janak’s child stands ready to die.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: Janak’s child slowly paces around her lord and adores the gods with reverent
action.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:5
text: She raises suppliant hands and prays to the Lord of Flame.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: obs:6
text: In her prayer, Fire is addressed as a universal witness and asked to protect
her body on the pyre if her heart has not strayed from Rāma.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:7
text: Sītā enters the flames fearlessly.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:8
text: Dames, children, and men who see her fall into the fire cry out.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Rāma
description: Rāma is gazed upon by the hero; his look is stern and without mercy
toward the weeping queen.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Sītā / Janak’s child
description: The weeping queen, called Janak’s child and Sītā, stands by the piled
wood, prays to Fire, and enters the flame.
role_refs:
- role:2
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Fire / Lord of Flame
description: Fire is addressed in prayer as the Lord of Flame and universal witness,
able to protect Sītā’s body on the pyre.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Gods
description: The gods are adored by Sītā with reverent action before she prays to
Fire.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Onlookers
description: Dames, children, and men see Sītā fall beneath the fury of the fire
and cry out.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Chieftains
description: Chieftains do not dare to meet Rāma’s eyes, pray, question, or advise.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
roles:
- id: role:1
label: stern lord and accuser
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Rāma’s stern look shows no mercy; Sītā’s prayer says Raghu’s son has laid
a charge on her.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:4
- id: role:2
label: accused queen entering fire
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Sītā is described as the weeping queen, stands ready to die, and enters the
flame after referring to a charge laid on her.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: role:3
label: devotee and supplicant
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: She adores the gods, raises suppliant hands, and prays humbly to the Lord
of Flame.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:4
label: divine witness and potential protector
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: Sītā calls Fire the universal witness and asks Fire to protect her body on
the pyre.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:5
label: revered divine beings
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: The gods are adored with reverent action.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:6
label: human witnesses
assigned_to:
- fig:5
- fig:6
basis: Chieftains witness Rāma’s look in silence; dames, children, and men witness
Sītā entering the fire and cry out.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:5
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: Fire
literal_form: Fire, Lord of Flame, flame’s fury, pyre
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs:
- fire
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: sym:2
label: Pyre
literal_form: piled wood and pyre
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
- id: sym:3
label: Circumambulation of lord
literal_form: Sītā slowly paces around her lord before praying
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:4
label: Suppliant hands
literal_form: raised suppliant hands
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Silent response to Rāma’s sternness
summary: The hero looks mournfully at Rāma, whose stern look shows no mercy toward
the weeping queen; the chieftains do not intervene.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:6
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Sītā’s preparation and prayer at the pyre
summary: With wood piled, Sītā stands ready to die, circumambulates her lord, honors
the gods, and prays to Fire as universal witness to protect her if she has been
faithful to Rāma.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:3
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: scene:3
label: Entry into the flames
summary: Sītā enters the flames fearlessly, and the assembled dames, children, and
men cry out when they see her fall beneath the fire.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:5
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: ordeal by fire with divine witness
taxonomy_refs:
- divine_judgment
basis: Sītā appeals to Fire as universal witness and asks for bodily protection
on the pyre if her stated fidelity is true, then enters the flames.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
confidence: high
cautions: The passage presents the appeal and entry into fire, but this excerpt
does not include the outcome of the ordeal.
- id: motif:2
label: public vindication sought through dangerous sacred test
taxonomy_refs:
- divine_judgment
basis: A public assembly sees Sītā enter the fire after she invokes Fire to respond
to the charge laid against her.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
confidence: medium
cautions: Vindication is implied by the prayer’s purpose but not completed within
the excerpt.
- id: motif:3
label: wife’s fidelity asserted before husband and deity
taxonomy_refs:
- sacred_marriage
basis: Sītā declares that her heart has never strayed from Rāma and ritualizes the
statement by circumambulating her lord and praying to Fire.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
confidence: medium
cautions: The available taxonomy term is broad; the passage emphasizes chastity
and fidelity more than a marriage rite as such.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: 56067-56072
quote_or_summary: The hero looks mournfully at Rāma; Rāma’s stern look shows no
mercy to the weeping queen, and no chieftain dares to intervene.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: 56073-56074
quote_or_summary: The word is passed, wood is piled, and Janak’s child stands ready
to die.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: 56075-56078
quote_or_summary: She walks around her lord, reverently adores the gods, raises
suppliant hands, and prays to the Lord of Flame.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: 56079-56084
quote_or_summary: She states that her heart has never strayed from Rāma and asks
Fire, the universal witness, to protect her body on the pyre and hear the charge
laid on her.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: 56085-56092
quote_or_summary: Sītā fearlessly passes into the flames; dames, children, and men
who see her fall beneath the fire cry out.
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 supported by the supplied passage. Motif labels are
cautious because the excerpt does not include the result of Sītā’s fire ordeal.
No comparison claims are made because the passage itself does not support a comparison
to another tradition or corpus.
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 and metadata. Taxonomy references are limited to provided available taxonomy terms.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:hindu-ramayana-griffith-gutenberg__l56067-l56092
passage_sha256=29ccaa501b10467686f1d1e9b4eaa7b2ab3b678dd0bdb7d8ad6a869bd34a186b