The Mahabharata is one of the longest epic poems in the world, containing over 100,000 verses.
The Mahabharata was likely composed over several centuries (roughly 1200 BCE to 400 CE) in India. It shows multiple writing styles, themes, and historical layers, and appears to have grown through oral tradition before being written down.
It is traditionally believed to have been written by Sage Vyasa. The epic is written in Sanskrit, one of the oldest Eurasian languages. Vyasa is said to have composed the epic and dictated it to Lord Ganesha, who served as the scribe. He is also known as ‘Ved Vyasa’, as he is considered the compiler of the Vedas.
There are four Vedas: Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda,and Atharvaveda. The Vedas form the basis of Hindu philosophy and religion, yoga and meditation, Indian law, ethics, and science, as well as language, poetry, and education.A part of the Vedas, the Upanishads, focus on philosophical teachings about reality and the self. These ideas have influenced many modern concepts and writings. For example, American author Deepak Chopra’s books reinterpret this ancient wisdom in a modern scientific way.
Vyasa may not have been a single person, but rather a title given to multiple scholars over time, or a symbolic name representing a group of authors and editors.
The Mahabharata’s first major translation was into the Persian language, rather than into modern Indian languages used today.The American historian Richard Eaton, in his book Persianate India, notes that the Mahabharata was translated into Persian as the Razmnama(also spelled Razm-Nama, meaning “Book of War”).
This translation was commissioned by Mughal Emperor Akbar in the 16th century and carried out by a team of scholars including Naqib Khan, Badayuni, and others. The project aimed to make Indian epics accessible to Persian-speaking audiences. This has also been mentioned by American historian Audrey Truschkein her PhD thesis, Sanskrit in the Mughal Court.
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