Question

Describe the various stages through which Mahabharata was compiled in the 20th century. Discuss any three points.

Answer 1

The work of compiling the Mahabharata started in 1919 under the leadership of noted scholar V. S. Sukthankar. A team comprising dozens of scholars initiated the task of preparing a critical edition of the Mahabharata. The various stages of compiling the Mahabharata were:

• Scholars collected Sanskrit manuscripts of the text, written in a variety of scripts, from different parts of the country.
• Scholars compared verses from each manuscript. They selected the verses that appeared common to most versions.
• These common verses were published in several volumes, running into over 13,000 pages.
• The project took 47 years to complete.