View source for Epics & Scriptures

= Pillar 1: Epics & Scriptures =

== What This Pillar Covers ==
The foundational texts of the Indian tradition — and, where relevant, other traditions — as documented literature. This pillar treats epics and scriptures as historical and literary objects: what they say, when they were composed, how they were transmitted, and what they have meant to different communities.

This is the Waking world content: verifiable, sourced, and open to correction.

== Key Entries ==

* Mahabharata — Overview, structure, key figures, and major episodes
* Ramayana — Overview, structure, and regional variations
* Bhagavad Gita — Context within the Mahabharata, key teachings, and commentaries
* Upanishads — Overview of the genre; individual entries for Māṇḍūkya, Chāndogya, Bṛhadāraṇyaka
* Māṇḍūkya Upanishad — The four states of consciousness (jāgrat, svapna, suṣupti, turīya)
* Chāndogya Upanishad — The three bodies (śarīra) framework
* Ṛgveda — Oldest Veda; key hymns including the Puruṣasūkta
* Puranas — Overview of the genre and major Puranas
* Pancha Kanya — The five women of epic tradition, their stories and interpretations
* Alexander and the Naked Ascetics — The encounter between Alexander and Indian ascetics, as recorded in Greek and Indian sources

== Connection Articles on the Main Site ==
These are the trails that begin in this pillar:

* ''Sword vs. Words'' — Alexander, the naked ascetics, and the tension between conquest and renunciation
* ''The Five Virgins as Ecological Teachers'' — Pancha Kanya as models of sustainable living and inner cultivation
* ''Apaurusheyatva and the Question of Authorship'' — What it means to say the Vedas have no author

== Related Pillars ==

* Synthesis — Where epic themes connect to science and dream
* Historical Events — The contexts in which these texts were composed and transmitted
* Siddhas & Lineages — The traditions that preserved and interpreted these texts

== How to Contribute ==
Create or expand entries on texts, figures, and episodes. Cite primary sources where possible. Use the connection type tags when linking to other pillars.