Dear Venetia,
Beside the itihāsa-purāṇa self-proclaiming to relate what really once happened (and so to serve as a proto-history, which is according to me the main function of myths) as it was heard and transmitted (cf. MBh 1,1.48 etc., Rm 1,5.3, etc., E.W. Hopkins Great Epics1901, pp. 50-54, A. Guruge, Society in the Rm 1991, p. 2 §3, and on the use of smṛta, śruta, śruti etc. in epics and purāṇas, F.E. Pargiter AITM 1922, pp. 18-21) or even to contain the whole truth (cf. the famous statement of MBh 1,56.33, 18,5.38, which can be understood in this way), an interesting indigenous discussion justifying what could appear as adharmic in these "true" stories of the past is found in Kumārila's Tantravārtikka I, 3, 4, sūtra 7 (translated in French by L. Renou, Anthologie sanskrite 1947, pp. 212-214).
Best wishes,
Christophe

Le 4 janv. 2016 à 11:10, Venetia Kotamraju <venetia.ansell@gmail.com> a écrit :

Happy new year to all.

Can anyone recommend reading material for a lady who is writing a book on the debate of the 'truth' of itihasa through the texts of the Mahabharata and the Ramayana?

Thanks very much

Venetia

--
Venetia Kotamraju
+91 997230 5440
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