Most common people don't know Sanskrit, and aren't interested in reading scriptures. They learn Itihasa & Purana from elders or watching TV e.g. B.R.Chopra's Mahabharat, or Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan.
In the past, Itihasas were passed down as a conversation between two rishis, or rishi & disciple (e.g. Bhagavatham - Shuka/Parikishit, then Suta/Rishis. Mahabharat - Valmiki/Ganesha, then Vaishampayana/Janamejaya), and in later years by Acharyas & Upanyasakas.
But recently 2013, some mahanubhavas at star plus came up with NEW Mahabharat (aptly nick-named Megabharat), which is a highly corrupted version, and they try to escape blame simply by putting a disclaimer in beginning as 'fictional' or 'based on true events'.
Are there any ancient anecdotes within Itihasa/Puranas/Vedas of someone misinterpreting or falsifying scriptures, how to detect it, and what's the punishment if any ? Like a self-certified 'guru' going about dispensing his imagination under the name of shastra ?
Shastra-ninda (blasphemy) is a known sin, but what about Shastra-Parinaama (changing) ? Isn't it worse ?
