广博仙人（天城体：व्यास vyāsa，音译为毗耶娑）著名的仙人，被认为是往世书的作者，并将最原始的吠陀经编撰出四大部。他也被说成是大史诗摩诃婆罗多的作者。没有什么证据说明毗耶娑这个人物确实存在过。「毗耶娑」在梵语里的字面意思是「分开者」，一些学者因此推定这个人名实际上只是「编写者」的意思，而典籍本身是由印度各地许多不同的作者分别写成的。

摩诃婆罗多里说广博仙人又名岛生黑仙人，因为他出生于一个岛上，而且肤色黝黑。传说他是著名的苦行者破灭仙人与一个生于鱼腹的美貌少女贞信的私生子。贞信后来嫁给俱卢国福身王，做了王后，给福身王生了两个儿子。福身王死后，两个儿子先后继位，又相继死去，无儿无女。为免绝后，贞信太后召来私生子岛生黑仙人，让他根据当时的借种生子法与他的两个同母异父的弟弟们的遗孀同房，生子传宗接代。持国和般度的儿子们后来为争夺王位发生了一场毁灭性的战争——俱卢大战。岛生黑仙人以孙子们的战争事迹为题材，创作了史诗摩诃婆罗多，并让弟子们将诗篇传扬于世。

Vyasa (Sanskrit:व्यास}, literally “Compiler”) is a central and revered figure in most Hindu traditions. He is also 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, as well as a character in it. He is considered to be the scribe of both the Vedas and Puranas. Vyasa is also considered to be one of the seven Chiranjivins (long lived, or immortals), who are still in existence according to Hindu belief.