Who composed the original story of the text of Mahabharata? Describe the various stages through which Mahabharata was completed between the fifth century BCE and 400 C.E.
The various stages:
(i) The original story was probably composed by charioteer-bards known as sutas who generally accompanied Kshatriya warriors to the battlefield and composed poems celebrating their victories and other achievements.
(ii) These compositions circulated orally.
(iii) Then, from the fifth century BCE, Brahmanas took over the story and began to commit it to writing.
(iv) The new kings want their itihasa to be recorded and preserved more systematically.
(v) This was the period when the worship of Vishnu was growing in importance, and Krishna, one of the important figures of the epic, was coming to be identified with Vishnu. Subsequently, between c. 200 and 400 CE, large didactic sections resembling the Manusmriti were added. This enormous composition is traditionally attributed to a sage named Vyasa.
