Discuss whether the Mahabharata could have been the work of a single author.

There are large number of views about the author of Mahabharata. Some of the common views are:

1. It is believed that the earliest stories of the text was composed by the Sutas who were the charioteer bards of the Kshatriya kings. They composed poems in the praise of the Kings.
2. These compositions used to circulate orally to different sections of the society for several centuries. Later the priests and Brahmins made an effort to compile these stories that ultimately culminated in the form of Mahabharata.