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112 T. S. Satyanathinformation systems and make telling and rendering activities,an exclusively in-group activity meant for the consumption ofthe rightful owners of knowledge and information systems.Thus despite the fact that different groups share a pluralisticepistemology which enables them to mutually understand eachother’s knowledge systems, their group-specific right overknowledge and information remains protected throughmultiple tellings, renderings and transactions on which theycould retain their monopolistic control.1. Introduction1.1 The issue of what translation meant to traditionalcivilizations such as India has become the subject matter of twointernational conferences held recently. If translation is a conceptthat represents an activity of the age of mechanical reproduction oftexts, then how traditional cultures of Asia dealt with transfer ofknowledge and information from one language to another in theirlong literary tradition is not only a matter of curiosity but also amatter of significance for understanding traditional modes of culturaltransaction. The present paper is an attempt to continue the currentdebate about the dynamics of what is called ‘cultural’ translation andthe diverse translation discourses in Asia.1.2 To start with, within the modernistic frameworkliterature and translation are directly connected with literacy, writingsystems, creativity, intellectuality, and are individualistic in nature.But literature is radically different if one looks at medievalliteratures of India. Literature was typically oral, despite being in ascripto-centric format, and often existed only in performance. In thissense, it was not just a mere text; it also bore medieval knowledgeand information systems. In the majority of the cases, literary textsalso become a part of ritualistic worship. Thus by being sectarianand ritualistic in nature, different tellings and renderings provided