After nearly two decades of continuous research and compilation by Patanjali experts, the project was completed in 2022.
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A task once abandoned midway as “impossible” by the world’s leading health body has not only been completed in India but transformed into a historic achievement through sheer resolve. This is the story of extraordinary perseverance, where dedication, research, and vision came together to create the monumental Vishwa Bheshaj Samhita.
However, in a remarkable turn of events, Patanjali claims US tech giant Google is now seeking access to the very knowledge compiled by the organisation to train its artificial intelligence systems.
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When WHO ‘gave up’
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In 1999, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched an ambitious project to compile a global document on plant-based medicinal systems, medicinal plants, and traditional knowledge from across the world.
After nearly 11 years of effort, the WHO discontinued the project in 2010, citing its vast scope, complexity, and near-impossible nature. Ultimately, it could produce only three limited volumes.
A parallel effort in India
Around the same time, without global attention, Patanjali Yogpeeth began working on a similar initiative around 2003–04. The institution was unaware of WHO’s earlier attempt.
According to Acharya Balkrishna, General Secretary, Patanjali Yogpeeth, the difference, however, lay in approach, patience, and dedication. Where a global institution halted, Patanjali’s journey only accelerated.
A global encyclopedia built through decades of research
After nearly two decades of continuous research and compilation by Patanjali experts, the project was completed in 2022.
During the project, the experts identified some 50,000 medicinal plants from 3.6 lakh species, documented traditional knowledge from over 2,000 tribes, compiled data from 964 healing practices, included more than 9 medical systems, collected over 12 lakh vernacular names and conducted research on more than 2,200 sources to create Vishwa Bheshaj Samhita, spanning approximately 1.25 lakh pages across 109 volumes.
Speaking at the Doon Book Festival in Dehradun, Acharya Balkrishna shared the journey behind the completion of this monumental work. He described it not merely as a publication but as a historic effort to preserve global medicinal knowledge.
He claimed that US tech giant Google has now reached out to Patanjali seeking the Vishwa Bheshaj Samhita data for its AI systems. The aim is to use this vast repository to strengthen AI systems—signalling that India’s traditional knowledge is now finding a place at the core of global technology.
“This is not just the story of a book, but of a mindset that challenges the impossible. Where global institutions found limits, Indian tradition, dedication, and scientific vision created history. Vishwa Bheshaj Samhita stands as proof that with unwavering resolve, even incomplete stories can become history. Patanjali has been working extensively on such knowledge systems, and the trust shown by a tech giant like Google in our data is a matter of pride for all Indians,” Balkrishna said.
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