The Mahabharata of Veda Vyasa is the longest recorded epic of the world. With almost 100,000 verses, it is many times as long as The Iliad and The Odyssey combined and has deeply influenced every aspect of the Indian ethos for over 4,000 years. The main theme is the Great War in Kurukshetra, but the epic teems with smaller stories, and other stories within these, all woven together with a genius that defies comparison. As its heart, it contains Krishna's immortal Bhagavad Gita, the Song of God.