Ugrasrava Sauti

"Reference: Mahabharata 1.1"

Ugrasrava Sauti was the narrator of the epic Mahābhārata. Ugrasrava Sauti, like sage Vaisampayana, was the disciple of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, the author of Mahābhārata. Ugrasrava Sauti was the son of Lomaharshana. He belonged to the Suta caste. The entire Mahābhārata epic was structured as a dialog between Ugrasrava Sauti (the narrator) and sage Saunaka (the listener). The narration ("Bharata") of the history of Bharata kings by sage Vaisampayana to Kuru king Janamejaya was embedded within this narration of Ugrasrava Sauti. Vaisampayana's narration ("Jaya") in turn contains the narration of Kurukshetra War by Sanjaya, to Kuru king Dhritarashtra. Thus Mahābhārata has as a Story within a story structure.

Mbh (1:1):- Ugrasrava, the son of Lomaharshana, surnamed Sauti, well-versed in the Puranas, bending with humility, one day approached the great sages of rigid vows, sitting at their ease, who had attended the twelve year sacrifice of Saunaka, surnamed Kulapati, in the forest of Naimisha. Those ascetics wanted him to narrate some story. He narrates Mahābhārata created by Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, which was formerly recited in full by Vaisampayana at the sacrifice of the high-souled royal sage Janamejaya.