Krishna Dvaipayana, better known as Vyasa or Veda Vyasa, was a legendary sage portrayed in the Hindu epic Mahabharata, and regarded by Hindu-tradition as the compiler of that work. As a Shaktyavesha Avatar of Vishnu, he is also regarded by tradition as the arranger of the mantras of the Vedas, as well as the author of the eighteen Puranas and the Brahma Sutras.
According to the Mahabharata, he was the son of Satyavati and the wandering Brahmin sage Parashara. Vyasa is considered one of the seven, who are still in existence according to Hindu tradition.