Who is the narrator of Mahabharata?

The primary narrator of Mahabharata is Sauti, Ugrashrava Sauti.

Ugrashrava Sauti is son of Lomaharshana.

लोमहर्षणपुत्र उग्रश्रवाः सौतिः पौराणिको नैमिषारण्ये शौनकस्य कुलपतेर्द्वादशवार्षिके सत्रे
सुखासीनान् अभ्यगच्छत् ब्रह्मर्षीन् संशितव्रतान् विनयावनतो भूत्वा कदाचित् सूतनन्दनः

Naimisharanaya name has two backgrounds.

First one – when Rishis approached Brahma at the beginning of Kaliyuga asking for a place where they can be safe from the attack of Kali, Brahma took out a wheel and set it rolling.

Wherever the nemi, the rim of this wheel would stop, basically where the wheel would stop rolling, that place will be inaccessible to Kali, and you can all spend Kaliyuga safely there.

This is what Brahma told the Rishis.

The wheel stopped at Naimisharanya.

Since nemi stopped it became Naimisharanya.

Nemi - Naimisharanya.

Once Bhagawan told Rishi Gauramukha:

एवं कृत्वा ततो देवो मुनिं गौरमुखं तदा
उवाच निमिषेणेदं निहतं दानवं बलम्
अरण्येस्मिन् ततस्त्वेतन्नैमिषारण्यसंज्ञितम्

Bhagavan once vanquished the entire force of Danavas here.

In a nimisha, within a time it takes to close and open the eyelids.

Hence it is called Naimisharanya- निमिषेणेदं निहतं दानवं बलम्.
Because of that Naimisharanya.

The context of Ugrashrava Sauti visiting Naimisharanya is when Shaunaka Maharshi's 12-year long satra was going on.

A yaga lasting 12 years.

A Satra is not just a homa.

A lot of things happen in a Satra like this.

Don’t think that it is just Shaunaka Maharishi sitting and doing a homa.

A Satra is a huge event.

Here, one lasting 12 years.

Thousands of people are involved.

Each one has a specific role to play.

A lot of charity is done.

A lot of interaction takes place, a lot of knowledge is shared and passed on.

A Satra like this happens for the benefit of the universe.

And Shaunaka Maharshi is described here as a Kulapati.

These days the term Kulapati is generally used to denote a vice-chancellor, vice-chancellor of a university.

But Kulapati here means, someone who can take care of 10,000 people, their needs on his own.

Then he is called a Kulapati.

It doesn’t mean that Shaunaka Maharshi was so rich.

So much of resources were at his command.

He gives a call and everything is organized.

We had earnest rulers at that time who had so much of dedication towards dharma.

So the Rishis asked Sauti, where are you coming from?

He said: I am coming from the venue of the Sarpa yajna of Janamejaya.

There Vaishampayana narrated many stories, stories listening to which itself can earn punya.

These stories were being told by Vaisampayana to Janamejaya.

And all these stories are originally told by Krishnadvaipayana Vyasa, the Vyasa of the present Chaturyuga.

I listened to all of them.

From there I went to the punya bhumi of Kurukshetra and from there I have come here.

Rishis said:

द्वैपायनेन यत्प्रोक्तं पुराणं परमर्षिणा
सुरैर्ब्रह्मर्षिभिश्चैव श्रुत्वा यदभिपूजितम्

This Itihasa is originally told by Dvaipayana, Vyasa.

Appreciated and approved by even Devas and Brahmarshis who heard it.

तस्याख्यानवरिष्ठस्य विचित्रपदपर्वणः
सूक्ष्मार्थन्याययुक्तस्य वेदार्थैर्भूषितस्य च

It has got sukshmarthas, it has got logic, it is adorned by vedartha.

This is what the rishis want to hear, the samhita of Vyasa called Bharata.

जनमेजयस्य यां राज्ञो वैशम्पायन उक्तवान्

Just like how it was narrated by Vaisampayana to Janamejaya, there at the venue of Sarpa yajna.

This great work of Vyasa, this is what we want to hear.

So Sauti will narrate Mahabharata just as Vaishamapayana had narrated it to Janamejaya during Sarpa yajna.

So the presentation of Mahabharata is like the pic in pic mode.

There will be stories within stories, narrations within narrations.