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Itihasas

Itihasa is a term from Sanskrit that designates narrative texts recounting past events, presented as historically grounded yet interwoven with myth and moral instruction. The word commonly translates as “thus happened” or “an eventful history” and refers to traditional accounts of ancient India.

In Hindu literary tradition, the Itihasas primarily refer to two epic works—the Ramayana and the Mahabharata—which

The Ramayana narrates the life of Prince Rama, his exile, the abduction of his wife Sita, and

The Mahabharata centers on the dynastic conflict between the Pandavas and the Kauravas and culminates in a

Scholars distinguish Itihasas from the Puranas and other historical or mythological texts by their narrative structure

Together, the Itihasas have profoundly influenced Hindu religion, literature, art, and performative culture. They are studied

are
viewed
as
chronicles
of
the
ancient
subcontinent
and
its
peoples.
These
works
blend
myth,
legend,
theology,
and
social
history
to
convey
values,
polity,
and
cosmology.
her
rescue
with
the
aid
of
the
monkey
god
Hanuman.
Attributed
to
the
sage
Valmiki,
the
epic
emphasizes
dharma,
virtue,
loyalty,
and
the
duties
of
kingship,
within
a
framework
of
devotional
and
ethical
instruction.
broader
meditation
on
dharma,
duty,
and
governance.
It
includes
the
Bhagavad
Gita,
a
philosophical
dialogue
between
prince
Arjuna
and
Krishna,
and
a
wide
range
of
episodes
on
statecraft,
war,
and
ethics.
and
moral
aims.
Traditional
dating
assigns
Ramayana
to
Valmiki
and
the
Mahabharata
to
Vyasa,
though
modern
scholarship
treats
both
as
composite
works
with
layers
added
over
centuries,
likely
from
the
first
millennium
BCE
to
the
early
centuries
CE.
for
their
literary
craft
as
well
as
their
exploration
of
dharma,
politics,
and
human
conduct,
and
they
continue
to
be
retold
in
various
regional
languages
and
media.