ABSTRACT

Rishi Balakhilyas were born to the mother named ‘Sannati’ who was the daughter of ancient king Daksha Prajapati. Their father named ‘Kratu’ was the son of lord Brahma. Theirs is the earliest example of human cloning in which sixty thousand human clones were made from single embryo. But they could not grow much and remained short of the size as much as to the size of big toe. Though they remained short but they were brilliant and inquisitive. Rishi Balakhilyas were sixty thousand in number and they all used to stay together and observe the penance. They had a dialogue with lord Brahma regarding ‘Brahma Vidya’. Rishi Balakhilyas were present in the conclave of rishis conducted beneath the mountains of Himalayas, some 7000 years ago. This not only shows their interest in the medical science but also put them as the caring persons for the sufferings of mankind. Hence, it becomes essential to explore the life of sage Balakhilyas to know about his contribution to the Ayurveda. Keywords: . Rishi Balakhilyas, Daksha Prajapati, Ayurveda