A History of Sanskrit Literature c13.17

c13.17

Thus it is clear that the *Mahābhārata* in its present shape contains an epic nucleus, that it favours the worship of Vishṇu, and that it has become a comprehensive didactic work. We further find in Book I. the direct statements that the poem at one time contained 24,000 *çlokas* before the episodes (*upākhyāna*) were added, that it originally consisted of only 8800 *çlokas*, and that it has three beginnings. These data render it probable that the epic underwent three stages of development from the time it first assumed definite shape; and this conclusion is corroborated by various internal and external arguments.