Mahabharata – 68

by 

Sankar Mukherjee

&

Dr Ramesh Chandra Mukhopadhyaya
                                            AadivamsavataranaParva

Sauti is at Naimisharyana surrounded by Saunaka & a crowd of recluses.Saunaka adresses Sauti & says -----“Oh my son Sauti you have narrated the extensive story commencing from the race of Bhrigu.We are very happy to hear you.Now we ask you again to recite in details the wonderful tales composed by the great sage Vedavyasa recited during the great snake sacrifice”

Sauti says that every day presently after the sacrificial rites the wise men & sages at the snake sacrifice used to disscuss the Vedas & the other scriptures.At the same time Vedavyasa used to recite the great & wonderfull story of the Mahabharata before the assembly.

Once upon a time there was an epidemic in a city,so the nobility were confined in a palace to avoid the epidemic.How would they spend the time shut up in a palace?.So the members of the nobility, one after another, started telling a story.Those stories gathered together are known as Decameron.A few pilgrims were on the way to Canterbury.On the way to Canterbury each one of the pilgrims told a tale.The tales gathered together became the Canterbury Tales .And the tales told by Vedavyasa during the snake sacrifice of Janamejaya together became the Mahabharata.