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Itihasa

Itihasa (Sanskrit: thus verily happened) refers collectively to the more epic Hindu scriptures, detailing the actions of divine incarnations on earth while interspersing them with often large sections of philosophical and ethical discourse. They are often classified as 'Hindu' or 'Indian' 'mythology,' though the label does not capture the centrality of religious and spiritual affiliations of the texts that ring true today for most Hindus. A parallel would be to term the Old Testament 'Christian mythology.'

The most important of these are the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, of which the Bhagavad Gita is part. They also include the puranas, the most famous of which is the "Srimad Bhagavatam," a text especially important to Vaishnavs though also seen as holy by most Hindus.

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