The Mahābhārata is an epic narrative of the Kurukṣetra War and the fates of the Kaurava and the Pāṇḍava princes. The oldest preserved parts of the text are thought to be not much older than around 400 BCE, though the origins of the epic probably fall between the 8th and 9th centuries BCE. Great Indian Epic - Mahabharata The Epic The epic is traditionally ascribed to the sage Vyāsa , who is also a major character in the epic. Vyāsa described it as being itihāsa (history). The epic employs the story within a story structure, otherwise known as frametales, popular in many Indian religious and non-religious works. It is recited by the sage Vaiśampāyana , a disciple of Vyāsa, to the King Janamejaya who is the great-grandson of the Pāṇḍava prince Arjuna. Battle of Kurukshetra The core story of the work is that of a dynastic struggle for the throne of Hastinapur , the kingdom ruled by the Kuru clan. The two collateral branches of the family that participate in the struggle are th