(also known as Veda-Vyasa, arranger of the Vedas; as Dvaipayana, the islander; and as Krishna, the black one), ancient Indian legendary poet and sage. Authorship of the Mahabharata is ascribed to Vyasa, as is the systematization of the Vedic hymns and authorship of the puranas VedantaSutra (aphorisms of vedantic philosophy) and other works of ancient Indian literature. Vyasa speaks out as a character in the Mahabharata. In legends about Vyasa characteristics of many poets and sages of ancient India have apparently merged.