Rishi Vaishampayana narrated the Mahabharata to King Janamejaya during his great snake sacrifice (sarpa yajña).

Quick Scoop

  • The composer of the Mahabharata is Veda Vyasa, but he did not directly recite the full epic to Janamejaya in the traditional telling.
  • Vyasa’s disciple , Rishi Vaishampayana, was instructed by his guru to narrate the story to Janamejaya.
  • This narration took place at Janamejaya’s famous sarpa satra (snake sacrifice), organized to avenge his father Parikshit’s death.
  • Because of this, Vaishampayana is regarded as the first human narrator of the Mahabharata to an audience, with Janamejaya as the principal listener.

So, if you’re ever asked “who narrated Mahabharata to Janamejaya?” the precise traditional answer is: Rishi Vaishampayana.

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Who narrated Mahabharata to Janamejaya? The traditional answer is Rishi Vaishampayana, the disciple of Veda Vyasa, who recited the epic to King Janamejaya during the snake sacrifice (sarpa yajña).

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