So, although Sanskrit and its literature are central to much of Hindu philosophy, in everyday practical terms they are somewhat more distant.
Therefore, the doctrines and practices now considered to be Hindu remain diverse. Even the Mahabharata and the Ramayana have become retold in diverse local ways.
For instance, local gods might be identified with particular characters from the Mahabharata, and the Ramayana epic itself has several different endings in various local traditions.
In the Tamil tradition, Ravana is a kind of hero, and in different traditions Sita comes to a different fate.