The narratives by ‘Vyasa’ were called the Puranas, or chronicles, which included the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata that spoke of family quarrels over property. They were also called Itihasa. Itihasa, taken literally, means stories from the past. Itihasa, taken symbolically, means stories that will always be true: past, present or future. They reiterated the concept of ‘iti’, which means ‘as things are’—accepting the reality of sex and violence, desires and conflicts in relationships, household and life. Those who affirmed iti were the astikas. Those who denied iti were the nastikas. Later, as
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