Does Hinduism Have Epics And Myths?
The Mahabharata and Ramayana are Hinduism’s most renowned epic histories, called Itihasa. The Puranas are popular folk narratives, teaching faith, belief and ethics in mythology, allegory, legend and symbolism. Aum.§
A woman performs a dance depicting a scene from the Ramayana in Java, where the world-renowned epic is widely celebrated in gala dance and theater. At left, Sanskrit volumes of the famed poem are shown, along with Hinduism’s other epic, the Mahabharata. §
INDUISM’S POETIC STORIES OF RISHIS, GODS, heroes and demons are sung by gifted panditas and traveling bards, narrated to children and portrayed in dramas and festivals. The Mahabharata, the world’s longest epic poem, is the legend of two ancient dynasties whose great battle of Kurukshetra is the scene of the Bhagavad Gita, the eloquent spiritual dialog between Arjuna and Krishna. The Ramayana relates the life of Rama, a heroic king revered as the ideal man. The Puranas, like the Mahabharata, are encyclopedic in scope, containing teachings on sadhana, philosophy, dharma, ritual, language and the arts, architecture, agriculture, magic charms and more. Of 18 principal Puranas, six honor God as Siva, six as Vishnu and six as Brahma. The witty Panchatantra, eminent among the “story” literature, or katha, portrays wisdom through animal fables and parables. The Bhagavad Gita proclaims, “He who reads this sacred dialog of ours, by him I consider Myself worshiped through the sacrifice of knowledge. And the man who listens to it with faith and without scoffing, liberated, he shall attain to the happy realm of the righteous.” Aum Namah Sivaya.§