How many years did it take to complete the critical edition project of the Mahabharata which began under V.S. Sukthankar?
1) 15 years
2) 27 years
3) 37 years
4) 47 years

Choose the correct answer from the given options:

4

In 1919, a momentous scholarly undertaking was initiated under the leadership of the renowned Indian Sanskritist, V.S. Sukthankar. The objective was to create a critical edition of the Mahabharata, an ambitious project that involved a team of numerous scholars. Their efforts commenced with the collection of Sanskrit manuscripts of the epic, penned in diverse scripts, from various regions across the country.

To accomplish this task, the team devised a methodology to compare verses from each manuscript. They painstakingly selected verses that appeared common to the majority of versions and compiled them into several volumes spanning over an astounding 13,000 pages. The entire project took an impressive 47 years to complete. During this extensive research, two significant observations surfaced.