He was a pupil of [[Vyasa]], from whom he learned the ''Jaya'', the original 8,800 verses of the ''Mahabharata''. He later expanded the ''Jaya'' to 24,000 verses under the name ''Bharata'', which he recited to King [[Janamejaya]] at his ''sarpa satra'' (snake sacrifice). The ''[[Harivamsa]]'' is also said to have been recited by him. The full 100,000 verses of the ''Mahabharata'' was not complete until several centuries later. | He was a pupil of [[Vyasa]], from whom he learned the ''Jaya'', the original 8,800 verses of the ''Mahabharata''. He later expanded the ''Jaya'' to 24,000 verses under the name ''Bharata'', which he recited to King [[Janamejaya]] at his ''sarpa satra'' (snake sacrifice). The ''[[Harivamsa]]'' is also said to have been recited by him. The full 100,000 verses of the ''Mahabharata'' was not complete until several centuries later. |