INDIA, RAJASTHAN, LATE 18TH CENTURY

Not only is Vyasa a major figure in the Mahabharatha as the father of and advisor to Dhritarashtra, he is also the legendary orator of the great epic, having received it from Brahma and recited it to Ganesh to write it down. The introduction to the epic describes how Ganesh agreed to transcribe the story as long as Vyasa never paused in his recitation, and that Vyasa agreed with a counter-condition that Ganesh must understand everything before writing it down. This explains the presence of more difficult passages in the story, which Vyasa recited to give him some respite while the elephant-god struggled with their meaning. The story continues that Ganesh's pen broke from the furious pace of writing, which is why he snapped off the end of his right tusk to use as a replacement so as not to interrupt the recitation or transcription.