batch.motif.hindu-ramayana-griffith-gutenberg-l57501-l57580
---
record_id: batch.motif.hindu-ramayana-griffith-gutenberg-l57501-l57580
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
passage_locator:
label: APPENDIX. / CAREY AND MARSHMAN. / SCHLEGEL. / GORRESIO.; lines 57501-57580
start: '57501'
end: '57580'
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: The gods, led by Indra, go to Brahma after a sacrifice and complain that
Ravana abuses a boon that protects him from gods and many beings. Brahma recalls
that Ravana omitted humans from the boon and says he must be killed by a man.
Vishnu appears, and the gods ask him to become the son of the childless king Dasaratha,
divided into four portions among the king's three wives, so that he may kill Ravana
in human form.
language: French
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: After the saint completes his sacrifice, the gods, with Indra at their head,
vanish into the air and go to Brahma with joined hands.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: The gods tell Brahma that Ravana abuses the boon he received and oppresses
gods, ascetics, and other beings.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: The boon is described as preventing Ravana's death at the hands of gods, Yakshas,
demons, rishis, Gandharvas, rakshasas, and Nagas, while humans were not included
because Ravana disdained human strength.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:4
text: Brahma says Ravana must be slain by the hand of a man.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:5
text: Vishnu appears with infinite splendor after Brahma has thought of him as the
one connected with Ravana's death.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:6
text: The gods ask Vishnu to be born as Dasaratha's son, divided into four portions
of himself, in the wombs of Dasaratha's three wives.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:7
text: Dasaratha is described as childless, desiring sons from heaven, and as having
performed an ashvamedha sacrifice after severe penance.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:8
text: 'Ravana is described as frightening or restraining cosmic and natural forces:
the sun, wind, fire, and the sea''s waves.'
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:9
text: The gods say Ravana torments worlds and beings, destroys sacrifices, tears
sacred scriptures, opposes brahmins, devours humans, saints, and apsaras, and
attacks kings.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:10
text: The gods ask Vishnu to take a human body and kill Ravana.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: The gods led by Indra
description: A collective group of deities, with Indra at their head, who petition
Brahma and later Vishnu because of Ravana's oppression.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Brahma
description: The architect of the worlds, sovereign of creatures, giver of goods,
and creator who granted Ravana's boon and identifies the human loophole.
role_refs:
- role:2
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Ravana
description: A rakshasa king described as abusing Brahma's boon, oppressing the
worlds and many classes of beings, and being vulnerable only through a human exception.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:6
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Vishnu / Narayana
description: The deity who appears with infinite splendor and is asked by the gods
to incarnate in human form to kill Ravana.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Dasaratha
description: A virtuous, truthful, childless king who performed severe penance and
an ashvamedha sacrifice to obtain sons.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Dasaratha's three wives
description: The three wives in whose wombs Vishnu is asked to incarnate in four
portions.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Ascetics, rishis, and penitents
description: Holy practitioners and seers described as oppressed, tormented, or
devoured by Ravana.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:6
roles:
- id: role:1
label: divine petitioners
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: They go to Brahma and address him with joined hands, asking for rescue and
a way to kill Ravana.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: role:2
label: boon-giver
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The gods say Ravana received an incomparable boon from Brahma, and Brahma
recalls its terms.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: role:3
label: identifier of the fatal exception
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Brahma states that humans were not included in Ravana's request and that
Ravana must be killed by a man.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:4
label: world-oppressing rakshasa antagonist
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: Ravana is repeatedly described as oppressing gods, sages, worlds, and humans
under protection of his boon.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:6
- id: role:5
label: requested divine incarnate champion
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: The gods ask Vishnu to enter a human body, be born as Dasaratha's son, and
kill Ravana.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: role:6
label: childless royal father-to-be
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: Dasaratha is introduced as childless, desirous of sons, and chosen as the
father for Vishnu's requested birth.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: role:7
label: royal mothers-to-be
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: Vishnu is asked to incarnate in the wombs of Dasaratha's three wives.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: role:8
label: victims of Ravana's violence
assigned_to:
- fig:7
basis: Ascetics, rishis, and penitents are named among those oppressed, tormented,
or devoured by Ravana.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:6
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: fire afraid to blaze
literal_form: Fire that does not dare to flame where Ravana stands.
associated_figures:
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs:
- fire
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:2
label: trembling sea waves
literal_form: The garland of great waves trembling in the sea at Ravana's sight.
associated_figures:
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:3
label: fourfold divine incarnation
literal_form: Vishnu divided into four portions of himself for birth through Dasaratha's
three wives.
associated_figures:
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: sym:4
label: human body as necessary form
literal_form: The human body or human condition requested for Vishnu because Ravana's
boon excludes humans.
associated_figures:
- fig:3
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:6
- id: sym:5
label: ashvamedha sacrifice for sons
literal_form: A horse sacrifice performed by the childless Dasaratha to obtain sons
from heaven.
associated_figures:
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: The gods petition Brahma
summary: After a sacrifice, the gods led by Indra go to Brahma and complain that
Ravana abuses his boon and oppresses divine and holy beings.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:7
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: scene:2
label: Brahma identifies Ravana's human vulnerability
summary: Brahma recalls that Ravana's boon omitted humans and declares that Ravana
must be slain by a man.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: scene:3
label: Vishnu is asked to incarnate as Dasaratha's son
summary: Vishnu appears, and the gods ask him to be born through Dasaratha's three
wives in four portions of himself.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: scene:4
label: The gods commission Vishnu against Ravana
summary: The gods describe Ravana's destructive actions and ask Vishnu to take human
form and kill him.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:7
symbol_refs:
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: boon with fatal omitted exception
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Ravana receives protection against many beings, but humans are omitted from
the boon, creating the means of his death.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
confidence: high
cautions: The passage frames this as a specific loophole in a boon; no supplied
taxonomy family exactly names this pattern.
- id: motif:2
label: divine incarnation as royal child
taxonomy_refs:
- sacred_birth
- divine_parent_child
- miraculous_child
basis: The gods ask Vishnu to be born as the child of the king Dasaratha, divided
into four portions among three royal wives.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
confidence: high
cautions: The passage requests and explains the incarnation; it does not narrate
the actual birth in this line range.
- id: motif:3
label: human form required to defeat a superhuman oppressor
taxonomy_refs:
- divine_judgment
basis: Because Ravana cannot be killed by many divine or supernatural beings, the
gods ask Vishnu to take a human body and kill him.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:6
confidence: high
cautions: The killing itself is anticipated but not performed in the passage.
- id: motif:4
label: sacrifice and penance to obtain sons
taxonomy_refs:
- sacrifice
- sacred_birth
basis: Dasaratha is childless and performs severe penance and an ashvamedha sacrifice
because he wants sons from heaven.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
confidence: high
cautions: The passage mentions the ritual motivation but does not describe the ritual
performance in detail.
- id: motif:5
label: world-order disturbed by tyrannical demon
taxonomy_refs:
- chaos
basis: Ravana's presence is said to frighten the sun, wind, fire, and sea, and he
is described as tormenting worlds and beings.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:6
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage uses cosmic and natural imagery, but the broader cosmological
consequences are summarized rather than fully developed here.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: 57501-57505
quote_or_summary: After the great saint completes the sacrifice, the gods led by
Indra vanish into the air, go to Brahma, and address him with joined hands.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: 57505-57525
quote_or_summary: The gods report that Ravana misuses Brahma's boon, oppresses gods,
ascetics, Yakshas, Gandharvas, Asuras, and humans, and so terrifies natural forces
that the sun, wind, fire, and sea are affected.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: 57525-57537
quote_or_summary: Brahma recalls that Ravana asked not to be killed by gods, rishis,
Gandharvas, Yakshas, rakshasas, or Nagas; because he ignored humans, Brahma says
he must be slain by a man.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: 57537-57544
quote_or_summary: Vishnu appears with infinite splendor, having been thought of
by Brahma for the death of the tyrant, and the immortals appeal to him as their
refuge.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: 57544-57558
quote_or_summary: The gods describe the childless king Dasaratha, his penance and
ashvamedha for sons, and ask Vishnu to be born as his son in four portions through
his three wives.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/hindu/project-gutenberg/ramayana-griffith.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: 57558-57579
quote_or_summary: The gods identify Ravana as the terror of the worlds, explain
that only a human can bring his death, list his attacks on sacrifices, scriptures,
holy beings, humans, apsaras, and kings, and ask Vishnu to enter a human body
and kill him.
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: The passage clearly supports the figures, divine petition, boon loophole,
and requested incarnation. Motif taxonomy assignments are limited to the supplied
available taxonomy and should be reviewed.
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: |-
Passage text is in French within the specified Griffith/Gutenberg source range; extraction uses only the supplied passage and metadata.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:hindu-ramayana-griffith-gutenberg__l57501-l57580
passage_sha256=33ffb9c928f2c0649b97be9fd169bfcc88864ddf02b9f5da9dbf7fc76143fd92