Acharya Balkrishna, a great scholar of Ayurveda, Sanskrit language and grammar, and the Vedas, was born to Smt. Sumitra Devi and Shri Jay Vallabh.
During his journey and austere penance in the Himalayas, he was able to explore four rare and extinct aṣṭavarga plants used as ingredients in the preparation of cyavanaprāśa, an āyurvedic tonic. He is also credited with discovering the sañjīvanī būtī, the medicinal plant of legendary fame. As the head of all the medical institutions and chikitsalayas (Hospitals and clinics) functioning under the aegis of Patañjali Yogpeeth, he is mainly focused on the research and development of Āyurveda to make it compete successfully with the modern medical science. He has been able to cure lakhs of patients at his Brahmakalpa Chikitsalaya of several stubborn, chronic and incurable diseases like diabetes, rheumatism, osteoarthritis, gout, migraine, cervical spondylitis, respiratory disorders, asthma, cancer, nervous disorder, heart disease, brain diseases, etc. Yoga and Āyurveda have combined wonderfully in the treatment of these diseases at a very nominal price. These successful treatments have been documented by Ācāryaji in his renowned book: Yoga In Synergy With Medical Science. Another popular book written by him is Aushadh Darshan, a handy pharmacopoeia of ayurvedic and home remedies.
At the Department of Medical Science In Yoga & Āyurveda at Patañjali Yogpeeth, Hardwar, he has got a team of 70 physicians to assist him. Besides, more than a thousand vaidyas (āyurvedic physicians) in India and abroad are treating patients under his guidance.
To ensure the efficacy of āyurvedic treatments, it was necessary to make pure and high-quality medicines available to patients at an affordable price. Ācāryaji took up the challenge and found Divya Pharmacy where Āyurvedic medicines with national and international certifications are manufactured with upmarket packaging. To ensure the use of genuine ingredients in the Divya Pharmacy medicines, Patañjali Herbal Park grows 450 medicinal plants (some of them rare) under the overall supervision of Ācāryaji.
As a part of Swamiji's Bharat Swabhiman Movement, items of daily use like tooth powder, toothpaste, hair oil, soap, shampoo, beauty creams etc. are produced in Divya Pharmacy & Patañjali Ayurved Ltd. with Āyurvedic ingredients and Āyurvedic formulas.
Acharya Ji's knowledge and experience in the managerial, administrative and engineering fields, which has been admired by one and all in India is another aspect of his multi-faceted genius and personality. The impressive infrastructure of Patañjali Yogpeeth buildings is a living testimony to his grand futuristic concepts.
His editorial skills can be seen in Yog Sandesh where, as the Chief Editor, he propagates yoga and āyurveda for the mental, physical and spiritual health of people. All his activities are inspired by this dictum of Bhagavad Gītā:
“kāmaye duḥkhataptānāṁ prāṇināmārtināśanam”.
He has also edited, collaborated and authored books like Āyurved: Its Principles & Philosophies, Secrets Of Indian Herbs, Vitality Strengthening Astavarga Plants, Vaidika Nityakarma Vidhi, Yogadars´ana, Sant Darshan and Bhakti Gitanjali.
By devoting himself to the service of humanity in many ways, round the clock, he has become a true karmayogī.