Mahabharata (महाभारत) – Previous name
Veda Vyas initially wrote a text called Bharata (भारत) with twenty four thousand slokas consists mainly of important events. Than he wrote a chapter consisting of list of events throughout the Mahabharata, that single chapter is named as ” Anukramanika Parva (अनुक्रमणिका पर्व) “
इदं शतसहस्रं तु श्लोकानां पुण्यकर्मणाम्।
उपाख्यानैः सह ज्ञेयं श्राव्यं भारतमुत्तमम्।। – Mahabharata Adi Parva 1.101
This text which contains one lakh slokas, with description of great men of those times. It was earlier known as Bharata (भारत)
After that Veda Vyas created a second text with sixty lakh slokas (षष्टिं शतसहस्राणि चकारान्यां स संहिताम्), it was referred as Mahabharata (because of its size bigger the earlier)
Out of these 60 lakh slokas, 30 lakhs are recited in Deva Loka (देवलोक), 15 lakhs are recited in Pitri Loka (पितृ लोक) and 14 lakhs are recited in Gandharwa Loka (गन्धर्वलोक). Remaining one lakh slokas are recited in Manusha Loka (मनुष्य लोक) or Earth called as Mahabharata (महाभारत)
Who first recited Mahabharata and where ?
Veda Vyas first thought Mahabharata to his Son Sukhdev Ji, than Sukhdev ji thought this Mahabhatara to Gandharva, Yaksha and Rakshasa(गन्धर्वयक्षरक्षांसि श्रावयामास वै शुकः)
On earth it was first recited by Vaishampayan (वैशंपायन ) who was a student of Veda Vyas. (अस्मिंस्तु मानुषे लोके वैशंपायन उक्तवान्)
Rishi Narada (नारद) recited Mahabharata in Deva Loka and Asit – Deval (असित-देवल) recited in Pitri Loka (नारदोऽश्रावयद्देवानसितो देवलः पितृन् )
