Itihāsa — Sacred History as Living Scripture
Itihāsa (Sanskrit: iti ha āsa = 'thus indeed it was'; 'historical record of what indeed happened') is the category of classical Sanskrit literature that preserves narratives of actual historical events — particularly the lives and deeds of exemplary figures — through which profound dharmic and spiritual teachings are conveyed. The two primary itihāsas are the Rāmāyaṇa (Vālmīki) and the Mahābhārata (Vyāsa).
Itihāsa and Śruti/Smṛti: In the traditional hierarchy of scripture, itihāsa (along with purāṇa) is smṛti — 'remembered' tradition, as opposed to śruti (directly revealed Veda). However, itihāsa derives its authority from its perfect conformity with Vedic teaching. 'If the Vedas are the seed, the itihāsas are the flowering tree that makes the seed accessible to all people at all times.'
The Mahābhārata's Śrī Vaiṣṇava Centrality: The Bhagavad Gītā — revealed within the Mahābhārata at Kurukṣetra — is the quintessence of Vedic teaching and is treated in the Śrī Vaiṣṇava sampradāya as directly authoritative. Rāmānuja's Gītā Bhāṣyam is the sampradāya's definitive commentary on this itihāsa's core teaching.
Rāmāyaṇa and the Āzhvārs: The Rāmāyaṇa is the model of complete selfless devotion — Hanumān's service, Bharata's renunciation, Sītā's unshakeable loyalty. The Āzhvārs drew from Rāmāyaṇa imagery extensively in the Divya Prabandham.