The excerpts from the Mahabharata could not have been literally true in all aspects. As the context states, creative literature often has its own narrative requirements and does not always literally reflect social realities. For instance, the practice of polyandry was not the most prevalent form of marriage, yet the author(s) chose to associate it with the central characters like Draupadi marrying the five Pandavas. The text was composed over 1,000 years (c. 500 BCE onwards), and stories may have been in circulation even earlier, suggesting a mix of historical memories and creative imagination rather than literal truth.

The excerpts reveal that those who composed the text were conscious of their audience and kept their interests in mind while composing. They used Sanskrit that was far simpler than that of the Vedas or prashastis, making it widely understood. The composers shaped the text with their perspectives and ideas, and the text contains sections laying down norms of behaviour for various social groups. The fact that characters sometimes follow these norms and sometimes deviate shows the composers' complex understanding of human nature and social dynamics.

The excerpts suggest that those who read or heard the epic came from diverse backgrounds. The simpler Sanskrit made it accessible to a wider audience, not just priests and elites. Over centuries, versions in various languages emerged through dialogue between peoples, communities, and writers. Stories from specific regions found their way into the epic, showing widespread engagement. The epic provided themes for performing arts like plays and dance, and episodes were depicted in sculpture and painting, indicating that the text was not merely read but experienced and retold by ordinary people who found the stories interesting.