3 STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT OF THE TEXTUAL EVOLUTION OF THE GREAT EPIC MAHABHARATA

 

This great epic Mahabharatam is 8 times bigger than the Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey put together. It is said to have been written by the great poet Vyasa. But the lack of homogeneity, historical anachronisms, internal and external evidences, varying styles, stories that do not have any direct link with the main plot, the description on the various branches of learning, the philosophical explanation and various other factors prove that the original work has been amplified. At present we see Mahabharatam consisting of nearly one lakh verses including the supplement Harivamsa. It is divided into 18 sections called Parvas.   Among them the Santi Parva is the longest Parva containing about 14700 verses and the last one Svarga Aarohana Parva is the shortest one with 200 verses.  After composing the Mahabharatam it is believed that Vyasa had taught the same to his disciples. The theme of the work was a war between two cousin brothers over the kingship of a large territory. But in the present volume of Mahabharatam we have a number of queries raised by Janamejaya and other sages and answers given by Vaisampayana and others. This is evidenced in the prefixes like ‘Vaisampayana told, Sages told, Janamejaya told’ etc. How can these questions and their answers have formed part of the original text composed by Vyasa? Hence we must accept that the work must have been amplified later. This is proved by various statements still preserved in Mahabharatam itself by oversight or owing to the absence of motives to expunge them. Even according to traditions there are three beginnings in Mahabharatan. There are also statements giving different lengths of the work, different types of division and different names.

 I STAGE:

            The original epic was historic in nature and not didactic. It is specifically called "Itihaasa"– (account of ancient happenings). In the beginning it was called "Jayam".  In the last portions of the epic the word ‘jayama\’ "Jayam" is referred to in the following statement ‘jayaao naama [ithasaao|yama\’. ‘jayama\’ "Jayam" means victory. It is probably symbolising the victory of Pandavas over the Kauravas. The length of the book cannot be ascertained. However Prof.Mcdonald states that this must have consisted of 8800 verses. Some scholars believe that this number refers to the ‘kUTSlaaok’s or tricky verses composed by Vyasa to detain ‘ivanaayak:’ – Lord Vinayaka. But some scholars believe that on a careful analysis we can come to a conclusion that these tricky verses, even if they are traced in the present Mahabharatam, could not have formed part of the original epic. Except for the beginning no other internal evidence states the length of the original text. Hence we have to state that Vyasa composed the first stage of Mahabharatam and named it as ‘jayasaMihta’---"Jaya Samhita".

 II Stage:

            This edition may be called the edition of ‘vaOSaMpayana’ – Vaisampayana. He was the disciple of Vyasa. Vyasa taught ‘jayama\’ "Jayam" to five of his pupils. Each one of them came out with an edition of their own. The edition brought out by Vaisampayana is the only one available now. All others are lost. The Asvamedha Parva = ‘ASvamaoQa pva- ’ ascribed to one ‘jaOimaina:’ Jaimini is available in fragments. This also points out that the original work must have been amplified later. ‘janamaojaya:’ Janamejaya,  son of prIixat\ Parikshit and the grandson of Ajau-na: Arjuna performed a snake sacrifice ³sap-yaaga:´ to avenge the death of his father. In the intervals of that sacrifice Vaisampayana was requested to narrate the epic composed by his teacher Vyasa. He started the work with a salutation to his teachers and invoked the blessings of the Gods. He gave an account of the predecessors of ‘janamaojaya:’ Janamejaya. This version of Vaisampayana consists of 24000 verses and it is called ‘BaartsaMihta’= Bharata Samhita. 

III Stage:

   We are not in a position to make the development of the III Stage of Mahabharatam in a sequential manner for, it has undergone number of versions and additions. But it must have attained its present shape fairly before the birth of Christ because a Greek traveler refers to this work as consisting of one lakh verses and is known by the people of South India in 53 A.D. The III Stage of Mahabharatam is said to have been recited by ‘saaOit’ – Sauti – the son of ‘saUtpaOraiNak:’ = Suta Pauranikas.  But the 3^rd chapter has been stated that ‘puraNama\’ – the Puranam is recited by the ‘saUt:’ = Suta himself. 

  This work is said to have consisted of one lakh verses but as per the account given by ‘saaOit’ – Sauti it should have only 96000 and odd verses. But the present Bombay edition consists of 95000 and odd verses. The work is called ‘Mahabharatam’ in the III stage.

‘mah%vaat\ Baarva%vaat\ ca mahaBaartmaucyato’ "Mahatvaat ca Bhaaravatvaat ca Mahaa Bhaaratam Ishyate"

The number of stories narrated to the Pandavas in their forest life, the philosophical and metaphysical discussions and the teaching of Dharma by Bhishma to Yudhishtira in Santi Parva and Anusaasanika Parva may be called as the amplified version of the III stage. The epic tradition of reciting verses to audiences the desire to make Mahabharatam an authoritative book concerning all matters of Hindu – public, private and religious life, the necessity to explain old concepts and practises, emerging ideas of divinities, the needs of poetics etc.. might have made the successive redactors to enlarge this work.