Ten Things to Know about the Mahabharata: #8
Kurukshetra War scene, ca. 18th century
8. It’s ancient. But like many things ancient and Indian, the Mahabharata has no date on which scholars agree.
Reteller R.K.Narayan suggests the story began developing arond 1500 B.C.E., while historian A.L. Basham places the epic Kurukshetra War in the early 9th century BCE. Still others put it later.
The epic continued to grow until approximately the 4th century CE, according to translator J.A.B. Buitenen. Scholars argue for different dates for different “layers” of the massive story.
Mythologically speaking, the death of Krishna at the end of the Mahabharata brings the age of heroes to a close. And so begins Kali Yuga, the age of discord or vice, in which we live now.
Happily, the Mahabharata not only survives in our dark age, it continues to grow — as does this list. On to #7.
