This is the eighth book of our new course on 100 Great Books. You can read the brief about why the course exists and check out previous editions.
Who Wrote the Mahabharata?
The Mahabharata is not the creation of one author. Traditionally attributed to Vyasa, it evolved between roughly 400 BCE and 400 CE, during the long transition from clan republics to imperial states in ancient India. Across centuries, court bards, philosophers, and ascetics added to its 100,000 verses, making it the longest literary work in the world.
Vyasa, who also appears within the story, becomes a kind of meta-author. He both composes and participates.
The Big Questions the Mahabharata Tackles
Why is it difficult to be good?
Can violence ever be righteous?
What does duty mean when it conflicts with compassion, truth, or kinship?
Is fate the name we give to the web of our own actions?