What Is the Real Name of Mahabharat? The original name of the Mahabharata is Jaya, which means victory. Maharishi Vyasadeva first composed the epic as Jaya with about 8,800 verses. It was later expanded to Bharata with 24,000 verses, and finally to Mahabharata, containing around 100,000 verses. The word Mahabharata means “the great history of the Bharata dynasty.” This sacred epic not only narrates the Kurukshetra war but also explains profound spiritual knowledge, including the Bhagavad Gita and the principles of dharma and bhakti.