How did the historians classify the content and the language of Mahabharata? Explain.
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Decsribe briefly how do the historians usually classify the contents of Mahabharata. Why is the text described as an itihasa?When we look at the content and language of the Mahabharata, we find that scholars use different methods.
Language- When it comes to language we find that scholars usually look for in what kind of language it was written. Whether it was in prakrit, Pali, or any other language that is usually used by the common people. However we find that the sanskrit used in the epic is fairly simple as compared to vedas and other text. Thus scholars are of the opinion that the epic was meant for the common people.
Contents- After clearification of the language then scholars look for the content. In content we find that scholars has divived it into two sections. The narrative part and the didactic part. However we find that the division of the two are not watertight. We find didactics in the narrative portion and narrative in the didactics.
Although the epic is often mentioned as Itihasa or thus it was, or generally translated as history. However scholars highly doubt about the authenticity of the epic as history. While other thinks that it could be possible that the memory of an actual conflict amongst kinfolk was preserved in the narrative. Although BB Lal did some excavation and there was some evidences but still we are not able to authenticate the facticity of epic.
