Vyasa

Vyasa (Sanskrit: व्यास, vyāsa, literally “Compiler”) is an important figure in most Hindu traditions. He is sometimes called Veda Vyāsa (वेदव्यास, veda-vyāsa, "the one who classified the Vedas") or Krishna Dvaipāyana (referring to his complexion and birthplace). He is the author of the Mahabharata. He is also a character in it. He is considered to be the scribe of both the Vedas and Puranas. According to Hindu beliefs, Vyasa is an avatar of the god Vishnu.^[1][2] Vyasa is also considered to be one of the seven Chiranjivins (long lived, or immortals), who are still in existence according to Hindu belief.

Vyasa lived around the 3rd millennium BCE.^[3][4] The festival of Guru Purnima is dedicated to him. It is also known as Vyasa Purnima, for it is the day believed to be both his birthday and the day he divided the Vedas.^[5][6]

In the Mahabharata

Vyasa appears for the first time as the compiler of, and an important character in, the Mahabharata. It is said that he was the expansion of the god Vishnu who came in Dwaparayuga to make all the Vedic knowledge available in writing which was available in only in spoken form at that time. He was the son of Satyavati, daughter of the fisherman Dusharaj,^[7] and the wandering sage Parashara. He is credited with being the author of the first Purana, Vishnu Purana. There are two different views regarding the place of his birth. Some consider that he was born on an island in the Yamuna river.^[8] While many other facts suggests that he was born in an island nearby the confluence of Seti (white) and Madi (Black) river which is situated in present day Tanahun of Nepal.^[9] Vyasa had a dark complexion and may be called by the name Krishna (black), and also the name Dwaipayana, meaning 'island-born'.