== DATING OF MAHABHARATA ==

There are four criterion to date a epic like mahabharata a well known itihas in vedic
culture 1.archaeological evidences 2.geoghraphical analysis 3.language &
inscriptions analysis 4.Foreign history

1.Archaeological evidences:Most scholars agree that at least some of the references

to the Sarasvati in the Rigveda refer to the Ghaggar-Hakra River.The Sarasvati River
is one of the chief Rigvedic rivers mentioned many times in mahabharata.•Recent
archaeological discoveries indicate that the Sarasvati river ceased to be a sea
flowing river by 3500 BCE, and had dried up around 1900 BCE.The Rg Veda and
hence mahabharata too, cannot be dated later than 1900 BCE.because in
mahabharata it is refered many times and there is no description of its drying up
completely.so it may be asummed that a very deep core portion was written during
period of 1900bc-1500bc.

The Mahabharata says that the Sarasvati dried up in a desert (at a place named
Vinasana or Adarsana). According to the Mahabharata, the river dried up in order
that the Nishadas and Abhiras might not see her. The Mahabharata also states that
Vasishtha committed suicide by throwing himself into the Sutlej and that the Sutlej
then broke up in a 100 channels (Yash Pal in S.P. Gupta 1995: 175). This myth
seems to be related with the changing of the course of the Sutlej river. Recent
research indicates that the Sutlej flowed into the Ghaggar-Hakra river in ancient
times.

The Mahabharata also records that the Sarasvati joins the sea impetuously (Mbh.
3.88.2).

Balaram, elder brother of Krishna took a journey, starting from Dwaraka, along the
banks of Sarasvati and visited a number of holy places during the wartime. During
his pilgrimage, Balaram visited Vinasana, the place where the Sarasvati disappears
in the desert (Mbh. 3.80.118; 9.36.1; 3.130.4). In Mahabharata 9.53.11, Balaram
visited karapacava (where the Yamuna originates) shortly after visiting Plaska
Prasravana (where the Sarasvati originates).

The Mahabharata also records that the Sarasvati, after having disappeared in the
desert, reappears in some places (e.g. Mbh. 3.80.118).

According to the Mahabharata (3.81.115), Kurukshetra is south of the Sarasvati and

north of the Drishadvati. The Mahabharata also states that the Sarasvati is the first
creation among rivers and that it flows to the ocean (Mbh. Anus’a_sana 134.15).

According to the Mahabharata, Puskara in the Sarasvati river region was during the
Tretayuga period the most sacred site on earth.[14]

Oghavati was another name of river Sarasvati according to Mahabharata 9.38

In sabha parva of mahabharata(2.29.8) it is mentioned that "nakul conquered the

sudra and abhir who lived at the bank of saraswati near sindhu(indus)arena.
2.Geoghraphical analysis:Geoghraphy of dried up channel of saraswati ghaggar
river completely matches with description given above.In the epic all states,river
and mountains are matched with current geography,so it proves that it is not a
imagination of the writter.In Mahaprasthanika Parva of mahabharata (17.1.31)it is
mentioned "Proceeding on, those heroes reached the sea of red waters. Dhananjaya
had not cast off his celestial bow Gandiva",presently it i known as red sea and The
Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia.In
Mahaprasthanika Parva of mahabharata (17.2.2)it is mentioned"Those princes of
restrained souls and devoted to Yoga, proceeding to the north, beheld Himavat, that
very large mountain.Crossing the Himavat, they beheld a vast desert of sand"it is
probably the vast gobi desert in china.The kingdoms and rivers has shown in epic
india in wikipedia.so the epic deals with a very vast asian geography.In adi parva of
mahabharata(1.90.26) it is mentioned that king matinar performed yagya in Fire
altars at the bank of saraswati river,At Kalibangan fire Vedi (altar)s have been
discovered, similar to those found at Lothal which S.R. Rao thinks could have served
no other purpose than a ritualistic one.none of any river in the world having ancient
city of fire altars along its bank including ganga,yamuna,indus.this shows that
saraswati river was main vedic river in vedic time.in whole mahabharat shiva ling
worship was also famous,phallic symbols resembling the Hindu Siva lingam have
been found in the Harappan remains.so mahabharat can be dated in a period of
1500bc-600bc.
3.Languages&inscriptions analysis:one of the communication or spoken language
during mahabharat time was brahmi<ref>(mahabharat(1.76.12)

in india brahmi as a writting languages was develeoped by 900bc-800bc.The recent

archeological findings at Adichanallur, Tamil Nadu by ASI have indicated that the
Tamil-Brahmi inscription may have dated from as far back as 7th-8th century
BC.there is no where mention of any writting language in mahabharata.sanskrit is
no where mentioned as spoken or writting language in mahabharata.but as a
writting languages ,one special undeciphered(not easly deciphered)writting was
used by vidur and it was sent to yudhister<ref>mahabharata(gita press)
(1.144.20)&(1.146.6).

now oldest manuscript in brahmi belong to period about 300bc and inscription
belong to 800bc.in case of sanskrit oldest surviving manuscript is MS Spitzer, the
oldest surviving Sanskrit philosophical manuscript dated to the first century, that
contains among other things a list of the books in the Mahabharata. From this
evidence, it is likely that the redaction into 18 books took place in the first century.
An alternative division into 20 parvas appears to have co-existed for some time. The
division into 100 sub-parvas (mentioned in Mbh. 1.2.70) is older, and most parvas
are named after one of their constituent sub-parvas.

the copper-plate inscription of the Maharaja Sharvanatha (533-534) from Khoh

(Satna District, Madhya Pradesh) describes the Mahabharata as a "collection of
100,000 verses" (shatasahasri samhita).•Dion Chrysostom, Greek Sophist writes in
100 CE, that the Indians possess an Iliad of 100,000 verses. Together with its
appendix, the Harivamsha, MB does add up to this total. Thus the MB, of the current
volume was surely completed by 100 CE.•Panini's grammar (500 BCE, a most
conservative date) knows the Mahabharata. The language of the Epic does not
always follow Paninian constructions, which also suggests that it is prior to
Panini.Panini's grammar (c. 400 BC) knows the Mahabharata. Also, the Epic, in its
long descriptions of the religions of the day, does not mention Buddhism, so we can
be certain that it was substantially complete prior to 400 or 500 BC. The language
of the Epic does not always follow Paninian constructions which also suggests that it
is prior to 500 BC. Many of the characters of the Mahabharata are mentioned in the
Vedic texts that, on account of being considered sacred, have not suffered
interpolations and should thus represent historical persons. Krishna, for example, is
mentioned in the Chhandogya
Upanishad. Other names occurring
elsewhere include Vichitravirya,
Shantanu, Dhritarashtra,
Janamejaya, and Parikshit.The
famous Aihole inscription of
Chalukya King Pulkeshi II says: the
temple was constructed 3735 years, after the Bharat War. Aihole inscription was
written in 634 CE. Thus the date of the MB war by this inscription is 3102 BCE. This
inscription was written too long after the MB war, and hence this is not given much
credence.mahabharata does not mention about morya,budhda,magadha dynasty.so
it is clear that the most of the part of mahabharata might be written before 600bc-
300bc in sanskrit and 1200bc-800bc in brahmi.it may be asummed that
manuscripts belonging to this period may be lost or destryoed,because manuscript
in sanskrit belonging to period 100ad still survived today.

now core portion may be dated period belong to 1500bc-1100bc to satisfy

geographical and archaeological factors.In ancient india knowledge was transfered
from one to another by oral tradition.so during 1500bc-1000bc it would be
transfered oraly in brahmi and from 800bc-300bc,it may be written into brami
script.

4.Foreign history:

•Dion Chrysostom, Greek Sophist writes in 100 CE, that the Indians possess an Iliad
of 100,000 verses. Together with its appendix, the Harivamsha, MB does add up to
this total. Thus the MB, of the current volume was complete by 100 CE. SO The
Mahabharata is presumed to predate the Greek epic Iliad, and some episodes of the
Mahabharata are syncretistically said to identify with the story of the Iliad. Christian
Lassen, in his Indische Alterthumskunde, supposed that the reference is ultimately
to Dhritarashtra's sorrows, the laments of Gandhari and Draupadi, and the valor of
Arjuna and Duryodhana or Karna. This interpretation, endorsed in such standard
references as Albrecht Weber's History of Indian Literature, has often been
repeated.

so at last the topic by considering all these factors into consideration:

Date of bharta compostion: 1) 1900 bc-800bc in brahmi by oral tradition.

2) 800bc-500bc is written form in brahmi

script.

3) 500 bc-100ad is written form in Sanskrit.

4) 100ad-300ad final form as we see in

present.