The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India. It is an epic narrative of the Kurukshetra War and the fates of the Kauravas and the Pandava princes as well as containing philosophical and devotional material, such as a discussion of the four goals of life. Here we have Adi Parva, the first, discusses how the Mahabharata came to be narrated by Sauti to the assembled rishis at Naimisharanya after having been recited at the Sarpasatra of Janamejaya by Vaishampayana at Takṣaśilā. It tells the history of the Bharata race traces history of the Bhrigu race. Vyasa is a revered figure in Hindu traditions. He is a kala-Avatar or part-incarnation of God Vishnu. Vyasa is sometimes conflated by some Vaishnavas with Badarayana, the compiler of the Vedanta Sutras and considered to be one of the seven Chiranjivins. He is also the fourth member of the Rishi Parampara of the Advaita Guru Paramparā of which Adi Shankara is the chief proponent.