Eventually, the Mahābhārata (meaning “the great epic of the Bhārata dynasty”) became known in two forms—Sanskrit versus Tamil (southern India), and various regional variations.
The most famous part of the Mahābhārata is the Bhagavad Gītā (“the Lord’s Song”), which focuses on a dialogue between the god Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, a warrior of the Pāṇḍava clan.
The Mahābhārata was originally intended as an oral recitation. It was directed to a courtly audience of Āryan nobles in the northwestern part of India (the region where Vedic religion was initially practiced).
Consequently, the main characters of the Mahābhārata are also from this social milieu, and the places mentioned are predominantly in northwestern India.