The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Translated into English Prose From

The Mahabharata is regarded as the fifth Veda since it presents the strong Dharma of the Veda only. A perfect study of the epics and the purana texts is mandatory for an impeccable understanding of the Veda. The Veda is scared of such person who is untrained in the epics and puranas yet attempts to explain or interpret the meaning of the Veda. Therefore, the study of the Mahabharata has been considered as very essential for a clear understanding of our ancient culture and civilization.
In the context of world civilization, the Mahābhārata, according to W. J. Johnson, is as important as the Bible and the Quran. It is an akhyana, as it is found in the text itself (1.2.235, 236, 238 etc.). Anandavardhana, of the 9 century AC, discussed and established that the sentiment of this epic is Shanta (tranquility).
The copper-plate inscription of the Maharaja Sharvanatha (533-534 CE) from Khoh (Satna District, Madhya Pradesh) describes the Mahābhārata as a "collection of 100,000 verses" (śata-sahasri samhitä).
According to the Hindu tradition, it was Jaya samhita of about 8800 verses that transformed into Bharata of 24,000 verses that ultimately settled as Mahabharata of one lakh verses. Thus the Mahabharata reached to a stage gradually as described below:
1. The version of Sage Vyasa, the original author, 2. A revised recension in the form of the Bharata text by Vaisampayana giving it the extent of 23,282 verses reaching to the round figure of 24,000; 3. The Mahabharata version, of not one lakh verses and not even 78,675, but less than that; and, 4. The Mbh. version comprising several additions including the Harivamsa as its Khila parvan, which is purely a puranic text.
Nilakantha Caturdhara (A Brahmin scholar of Mahārāştra of the 17-18th centuries), who wrote a magnanimous commentary called Bhāratabhāvadīpa on the Mahabharata, may be regarded as the first scholar who had taken up the herculean task of considering a critical edition of the Mahabharata for the first time.