Mahabharata Epic : A Review
The Mahābhārata is traditionally attributed to the sage Vyasa, who is also a significant character within the epic. Vyasa referred to it as an "itihasa" (history) and also described the Guru–shishya tradition, which traces the lineage of great teachers and their students from Vedic times.
In the first section of the Mahābhārata, it is mentioned that Ganesha transcribed the text as Vyasa dictated it, though scholars consider this a later addition, as the "Critical Edition" excludes Ganesha's involvement.
The epic uses a frametale structure, common in many Indian works, both religious and non-religious. It is initially narrated by the sage Vaisampayana, a disciple of Vyasa, to King Janamejaya, the great-grandson of the Pandava prince Arjuna, at Takshashila. Later, the story is retold by Ugrashrava Sauti to a group of sages performing a 12-year sacrifice for King Saunaka Kulapati in the Naimisha Forest.
Early 20th-century Indologists described the Mahābhārata as disorganized and chaotic. Hermann Oldenberg suggested that the original poem had immense tragic force but dismissed the full text as chaotic. Moritz Winternitz considered that unpoetical theologians and clumsy scribes had combined disparate parts into an unordered whole.
Extensive research has been devoted to identifying and dating the layers within the Mahābhārata. Some elements can be traced back to Vedic times, suggesting the epic originated after the early Vedic period and before the rise of the first Indian empire in the third century B.C., likely around the 8th or 9th century B.C. Initially an orally-transmitted tale of charioteer bards, it evolved with reciters conforming to changes in language and style. The earliest surviving components are believed to be from no earlier than the 4th century BCE, as referenced in Panini's grammar Ashtadhyayi.
Vishnu Sukthankar, editor of the first critical edition of the Mahābhārata, noted the impossibility of reconstructing a fluid text in its original shape. Instead, the goal is to reconstruct the oldest form of the text based on available manuscripts, which are extensive but somewhat late due to India's climate.
The Mahābhārata (1.1.61) distinguishes a core portion of 24,000 verses, the Bhārata proper, from additional material. The Ashvalayana Grihyasutra makes a similar distinction. At least three redactions are recognized: Jaya (Victory) with 8,800 verses attributed to Vyasa, the Bharata with 24,000 verses as recited by Vaisampayana, and the Mahābhārata with over 100,000 verses as recited by Ugrashrava Sauti. Some scholars, like John Brockington, argue that Jaya and Bharata refer to the same text, suggesting a misreading of a verse in the Adi Parva.
The text's redaction was formalized, emphasizing the numbers 18 and 12. The absence of certain parvas from the "Spitzer manuscript" suggests the latest parts were added around the 4th century. The oldest surviving Sanskrit text dates to the Kushan Period (200 CE).
Different figures mention three versions of the epic, starting with Manu, Astika, or Vasu, corresponding to different frame settings of dialogues. The Vasu version omits frame settings, beginning with Vyasa's birth. The Astika version includes material from Brahmanical literature, introducing the name Mahābhārata and identifying Vyasa as the author.
The Adi Parva includes the snake sacrifice (sarpasattra) of Janamejaya, explaining its motivation and detailing why all snakes were intended to be destroyed but still exist. This material, closely connected to Vedic literature, was added by thematic attraction.
The Suparnakhyana, a late Vedic period poem, is an early precursor to the expanded legend of Garuda in the Astika Parva of the Mahābhārata.
Historical references to the epic date to Panini's Ashtadhyayi (4th century BCE) and the Ashvalayana Grihyasutra. Panini's references might suggest the core 24,000 verses and an early version of the extended Mahābhārata existed by his time. The Greek writer Dio Chrysostom mentioned Homer's poetry being sung in India, indicating the Mahābhārata's existence in his era.
Several Mahābhārata stories gained independent identities in Classical Sanskrit literature. For example, Kalidasa's Abhijnanashakuntala and Bhasa's Urubhanga are based on Mahābhārata stories.
A copper-plate inscription from 533-534 CE describes the Mahābhārata as a collection of 100,000 verses.
The Mahābhārata is divided into 18 parvas or books, each covering different aspects and episodes of the epic narrative. An additional book, the Harivamsa Parva, covers parts of Krishna's life not included in the 18 parvas.
