BĀLAKHILYA SAṀHITĀ See the word Guruparamparā
BĀLAKHILYA(S) (VĀLAKHILYAS). A group of hermits.
1)
Origin. Sixty thousand hermits were born to Kratu, one of the Saptarṣis (seven hermits), by his wife, Santati. They are called Bālakhilyas. Everyone of them was only the size of half a thumb, but they were as bright as the blazing sun and had attained control over their senses.
[Viṣṇu Purāṇa, Aṁśa 1, Chapter 10] .
2)
Garuḍa (Eagle) and Bālakhilya(s). A story connecting the birth of Garuḍa with Bālakhilyas occurs in the Purāṇas. Once Kaśyapa Prajāpati performed a sacrifice to obtain children. The work of bringing firewood for the sacrifice was entrusted to Indra and the other devas (Gods) and the Bālakhilyas. When Indra was heaping up on heaps pieces of big logs the Bālakhilyas who were very small were bringing in chips of wood. Seeing this Indra laughed. The Bālakhilyas got angry and stopping the work entrusted to them began to do penance with a view to create another Indra. Knowing this Indra was much flurried. He went to Kaśyapa and told him everything. Kaśyapa went to the Bālakhilyas and pacified them. At this time Vinatā, a wife of Kaśyapa, was doing penance to obtain a son. Kaśyapa said that the penance of the Bālakhilyas would not be fruitless and that as a result of their penance a son who would overpower Indra would be born to Vinatā. Accordingly a son was born to her. Garuḍa was that son. The fact that Garuḍa overthrew Indra when he went to heaven for ambrosia, is well known.
[M.B., Ādi Parva, Chapter 31] .
3)
Routine of life. The Bālakhilyas live in the maṇḍala of Sūrya (solar region). They travel in front of the sun in the shape of birds. They wear hides of animals. They are righteous and are only as big as a thumb. They are very ardent in doing the works of devas (Gods). They are sinless. There are Bālakhilyas living in the lunar region also. They worship the Sun daily. All the world stand firm in truth because of the penance of the Bālakhilyas.
[M.B., Anuśāsana Parva, Chapter 141.] .
4)
Other information.(1) Garuḍa (Eagle) who went to the realm of devas (gods) for Amrta [Ambrosia] took rest on the branch of a banyan tree, and that branch was broken from the tree. Sixty thousand Bālakhilyas were doing penance hanging head downwards on that branch. Garuḍa knew this only after the branch was broken. Fearing the curse form them he took the branch in his beak and flew about here and there. At last, according to the advice of Kaśyapa, he took the branch to the mount Gandhamādana and without causing any harm to the small hermits placed it there.
[M.B., Ādi Parva, Chapter 30] .
(2) When Duṣyanta entered the hermitage of Kaṇva he saw the Bālakhilyas doing panance, hanging down on the trees in the vicinity.
[M.B., Ādi Parva, Chapter 7] .
(3) In
[Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Bālakāṇḍa, Sarga 51] , it is mentioned that the Bālakhilyas were engaged in prayer and meditations and offering oblations to fire in the hermitage of Vasiṣṭha.
(4) It is mentioned in
[Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Bālakāṇḍa, Sarga 51] , that in the period of the Rāmāyaṇa, in South India, when Rāvaṇa was going to the house of Mārīca, he saw the Bālakhilyas doing penance.
(5) The Bālakhilyas learned the Vedas and Śāstras (scriptures) sitting in the chariot of the sun.
[Kampa Rāmāyaṇa, Pūrvakāṇḍa] .
Note: *) In some other Purāṇas the mother of Bālakhilyas is given the name ‘Sannati’. This may be a mistake in the manuscript.]