When was the Mahabharata written and when did it reach its final form?
The bulk of the epic was compiled between the 3rd century BCE and the 3rd century CE. The text probably reached its final form by the early Gupta period.
Questions about Mahabharata
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who are the main characters in the Mahabharata story about the Kuru dynasty?
King Janamejaya's ancestor Shantanu married Satyavati to produce Bhishma, Dhritarashtra, Pandu, and Vidura. The conflict centers on the five Pandava brothers Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva against their hundred cousins known as the Kauravas led by Duryodhana.
What is the historical date for the Kurukshetra War described in the Mahabharata?
Historians estimate the war took place around the beginning of the 9th century BCE based on archaeological evidence from Painted Grey Ware sites. Some astronomical calculations favor the 15th century BCE while Puranic data suggest the 10th or 9th century BCE.
How many volumes make up the Critical Edition of the Mahabharata published by scholars at Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute?
Scholars produced a Critical Edition consisting of 13,000 pages across 19 volumes over a span of 47 years between 1919 and 1966. This text includes an additional Harivamsha section with two more volumes and six index volumes.
When was the first complete English translation of the Mahabharata published?
The first complete English translation was a Victorian prose version by Kisari Mohan Ganguli published between 1883 and 1896. A poetic rendering by Romesh Chunder Dutt followed in 1898 before P Lal completed his verse translation posthumously.