The Mahabharata could not have been the work of a single author. Several factors from the text support this view.

First, the sheer scale of the epic is enormous. It is a colossal epic running into over 100,000 verses in its present form, with depictions of a wide range of social categories and situations. Such a massive work is unlikely to be produced by one individual.

Second, the text was composed over a period of about 1,000 years, starting from c. 500 BCE onwards. Some stories it contains may have been in circulation even earlier. This extended timeframe suggests the involvement of multiple generations of authors and compilers.

Third, the growth of the Mahabharata was a dynamic process that did not stop with the Sanskrit version. Over the centuries, versions were written in various languages through an ongoing dialogue between peoples, communities, and those who wrote the texts.

Finally, stories that originated in specific regions or circulated amongst certain people found their way into the epic. The central story was retold in different ways, and episodes were depicted in sculpture, painting, and performing arts. This indicates contributions from diverse sources rather than a single author.