Most scholars agree that the Mahabharata was not written by a single individual. Instead multiple authors compiled it over the course of several centuries. According to mythic tradition, however, the rishi (sage) Vyasa—who is also a character in the Mahabharata—wrote the work. In Sanskrit, the name Vyasa means "collector," "compiler," or "arranger." Thus, Vyasa represents the countless individuals who put together the various tales, stones, histories, legends, and treatises that are known collectively as the Mahabharata. A legendary figure occupying a prominent position in ancient Sanskrit literature, Vyasa is said to have composed the eighteen puranas, or "ancient tales," and to have written the four Vedas, the sacred texts of the Hindu religion. Also according to myth, he is supposed to have written more than 3 million stanzas of the epic poem, the majority of which were for the entertainment and enlightenment of...