The vast tapestry of the Mahabharata is traditionally traced back to the sage Vyasa, also known as Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasa or Veda Vyasa. Within the traditional understanding, Vyasa is regarded not merely as an author in the modern sense, but as the seer who composed and arranged this immense epic, giving form to a narrative that holds together war, dharma, and the complexities of human nature. This attribution situates the text within a lineage of sacred revelation, where authorship is inseparable from spiritual authority and insight.

From a historical and scholarly perspective, the Mahabharata did not arise at a single moment, but unfolded over several centuries. The earliest layers of the narrative are generally placed around 400 BCE, with the text continuing to grow and develop until about 400 CE. During this long period, the epic evolved through oral transmission and successive expansions, gradually assuming the monumental form that is known today. Thus, the Mahabharata stands as both a singular work associated with Vyasa and a living tradition shaped over many generations, reflecting a continuous meditation on duty, fate, and the human condition.