Balkrishna

Acharya Balkrishna is the managing director and primary stakeholder of Patanjali Ayurved, an Indian FMCG company. He is a close aide of yoga guru, Baba Ramdev, with whom he founded the company.
Balkrishna is also a practitioner of Ayurveda and is often referred to as Acharya Balkrishna. Balkrishna along with Baba Ramdev established an Acharyakulam in Haridwar. He has undertaken a project of developing the Ayurvedic system of medicine.

Balkrishna was born to Sumitra Devi and Jay Vallabh on July 25, 1972 in Haridwar. His parents are natives of Nepal, but his father was working in Haridwar when Balkrishna was born. He Joined Kalwa Gurukul, Haryana in 1988. Here he met the person widely known today as the Yoga Guru Swami Ramdev. They soon developed a bond that shaped their destiny. After his Gurukul education, Balkrishna travelled across India to study plants and their medicinal value, a key element of Ayurveda.

In the year 1993 he and Ramdev were living in the Himalayan caves of the Hindu pilgrim town of Gangotri, a popular haunt among holy men and ascetic near the source of India’s holiest river, the Ganges. Because of his knowledge of herbs Balkrishna started getting frequent requests from visitors for medicines for common ailments. This planted the seed for establishment of charitable organizations of ayurvedic medicines and treatment.

The duo founded an Ayurvedic Medicine manufacturing unit named Divya Pharmacy in Haridwar in 1995. Later Balkrishna helped Ramdev to set up a number of other businesses to serve the nation.

Patanjali Ayurved, an FMCG company, was founded by Baba Ramdev and Balkrishna in 2006. Followers of Ramdev, NRIs Sunita and Sarwan Poddar, helped kick-start the business with a loan. According to Balkrishna, he had taken out a ₹50–60 thousand loan at a time when he had never held a personal bank account in his name. In 2012, the company posted a turnover of ₹450 crore (US$67 million) which by 2015–2016 had risen to ₹5,000 crore (US$740 million).

While Ramdev does not hold a stake in the company, he is the face of the firm and endorses its products to his followers across his yoga camps and television programmes. Balkrishna owns a 94% stake in the company and has amassed a personal fortune worth ₹25,600 crore (US$3.8 billion). His birthday is celebrated as Jadi Buti Divas ("Herb Day") in the Patanjali group of companies on August 4.

Balkrishna serves as chief editor of Yog Sandesh, a magazine that promotes yoga and ayurveda. He, along with his co-authors have written a total of 41 research papers. All research paper are related to yoga and ayurveda. He has also written a book on ayurvedic medicine.

Books

2004

• Divya Aushadhi, Sugandhit Avam Saundaryakaran Paudh

2005

• Vitality Strengthening Astavarga Plants (For Vitality and Anti-aging)

2006

• Bhakti Geetanjali

2007

• Aushad Darshan
• Ayurveda: its principles and philosophies
• Yoga In Synergy with Medical Science

2008

• Secrets of Indian Herbs

2009

• The Four Vedas

2010

• Yoga – Play and Learn
• Let us Learn Yoga - Class III
• Let us Learn Yoga - Class IV
• Let us Learn Yoga - Class V
• Vaidika Nityakarma Vidhi

2012

• Secrets of Astavarga Plants

2013

• Vichaar kranti(Nepali Granth)
• Ayurveda Mahodadhi (Sushena Nighantu)
• Bhojanakutuhalam
• Siddhasaar Sanhita
• Ashtang Hridayam

2015

• Dainandin Yogabhyaskram

Research Papers

• Use of Ayurveda in promoting dental health and preventing dental caries.
• Effect of a yoga practice session and a yoga theory session on state anxiety.
• Short term health impact of a yoga and diet change program on obesity.
• Serum leptin, cholesterol and blood glucose levels in diabetics following a yoga and diet change program.
• Effect of Pranayama (voluntary regulated breathing) and Yogasana (yoga postures) on lipid profile.
• Heart rate variability changes during high frequency yoga breathing and breath awareness.
• Effects of high frequency yoga breathing called kapalabhati compared with breath awareness on the degree of optical illusion perceived.
• Effect of Yoga and Ayurveda on Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.
• The effect of yoga on neuroticism in an Indian population varies with socio-demographic factors.
• Finger dexterity and visual discrimination following two yoga breathing practices.
• Effect of yoga on different aspects of mental health.
• Astavarga plants – threatened medicinal herbs of the North-West Himalaya.
• Human Consciousness:A Theoretical Prospective on Repetitive DNA Base Pairs Relation to Psychological Behavior.
• Blood pressure and Purdue pegboard scores in hypertensives after alternate nostril breathing, breath awareness, and no intervention.
• Reaction time following yoga bellows type breathing and breath awareness.
• Effect of yoga or physical exercise on physical, cognitive and emotional measures in children.
• Immediate changes in muscle strength and motor speed following yoga breathing.
• Role of respiration in mind-body practices
• Blood Pressure and Heart Rate Variability during Yoga-Based Alternate Nostril Breathing Practice and Breath Awareness.
• Research on Traditional Medicine
• A comparative controlled trial comparing the effects of yoga and walking for overweight and obese adults.
• A rapid and simple scheme for the standardization of polyherbal drugs.
• Effect of one week of yoga on function and severity in rheumatoid arthritis.
• Implications of Corporate Yoga
• Managing mental health disorders resulting from trauma through yoga
• Optical topography recording of cortical activity during high frequency yoga breathing and breath awareness.
• Body fat, cholesterol, triglycerides, and adipokines as predictors of waist circumference in overweight and obese adults.
• Human gut Micro biota of Obese and lean individual.
• Corporate Yoga and Its Implications.
• Post traumatic stress symptoms and heart rate variability in Bihar flood survivors following yoga: a randomized controlled study.
• Yoga and diet change influence renal functions in the obese.

• "Research" basic.medscimonit.com. Published 19 November 2014
• "Yoga research" frontiers, 25 November 2014
• Bharatiya Sahitya Sangrah "आयुर्वेद जड़ी-बूटी रहस्य"
• "Aushadhi, Jeevani Shakti, Vitality Strengthening Books". yoga4cure.com. Retrieved 9 January 2017. 
• "Vitality Strengthening Astavarga Plants" Divya Yog Mandir Trust
• "Vitality Strengthening Astavarga Plants". yoga4cure.com. Yoga4cure. Retrieved 9 January 2017. 
• "Bhakti Geetanjali". bookadda.com. bookadda.com. Retrieved 9 January 2017. 
• "Aushad Darshan". books.google.co.in. Google. Retrieved 28 December 2016. 
• "Ayurveda: its principles and philosophies" sapnaonline.com
• "Ayurveda: Its Principles & Philosophies". books.google.co.in. Google. Retrieved 28 December 2016. 
• "Yog: In Synergy with Medical Science" www.vedicbooks.net
• "Secrets Of Indian Herbs For Good Health" www.diamondbook.in
• "Yoga - Play and Learn". amazon.in. amazon. Retrieved 9 January 2017. 
• "let us learn yoga textbook for yoga education for students of class iii". exoticindiaart.com. exoticindiaart.com. Retrieved 9 January 2017. 
• "Let Us Learn Yoga - Class 4". amazon.in. amazon.in. Retrieved 9 January 2017. 
• "Let Us Learn Yoga - Class 5". amazon.in. amazon. Retrieved 9 January 2017. 
• "let us learn yoga textbook for yoga education for students of class v". exoticindiaart.com. exoticindiaart.com. Retrieved 9 January 2017. 
• "Vaidika Nityakarma Vidhi" Divya Prakashan
• "आयुर्वेद को पतंजलि ने दी वैश्विक पहचान" Jagran, 5 August 2013
• "Ayurved Mahodadih". exoticindiaart.com. exoticindiaart.com. Retrieved 9 January 2017. 
• "Ayurved - Mahodadhi". amazon.in. amazon.in. Retrieved 9 January 2017. 
• "Bhojanakutuhalam". engineeringbooks.in. engineeringbooks.in. Retrieved 9 January 2017. 
• "Siddhasaar Sanhita". amazon.in. amazon. Retrieved 19 January 2017. 
• "Astang Hridayam". http://www.engineeringbooks.in. EngineeringBooks. Retrieved 19 January 2017. 
• "Dainandin Yogabhyaskram". amazon.in. amazon. Retrieved 19 January 2017. 
• "Use of Ayurveda in promoting dental health and preventing dental caries". ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 28 December 2016. 
• "Use of Ayurveda in promoting dental health and preventing dental caries". Indian Journal of Dental Research. 20 (2). 23 June 2009. Retrieved 28 December 2016. 
• "Effect of a yoga practice session and a yoga theory session on state anxiety.". ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 28 December 2016. 
• "Short term health impact of a yoga and diet change program on obesity.". ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 28 December 2016. 
• "Serum leptin, cholesterol and blood glucose levels in diabetics following a yoga and diet change program". ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 28 December 2016. 
• "Effect of Pranayama (voluntary regulated breathing) and Yogasana (yoga postures) on lipid profile". International Journal Of Yoga. 3 (2). 23 November 2010. Retrieved 28 December 2016. 
• "Heart rate variability changes during high frequency yoga breathingand breath awareness". bpsmedicine.biomedcentral.com. Springer Nature. Retrieved 28 December 2016. 
• "Effects of high-frequency yoga breathing called kapalabhati compared with breath awareness on the degree of optical illusion perceived.". ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 28 December 2016. 
• "Effect of Yoga and Ayurveda on Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy". ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 28 December 2016. 
• "The effect of yoga on neuroticism in an Indian population varies with socio-demographic factors.". ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 28 December 2016. 
• "Finger dexterity and visual discrimination following two yoga breathing practices". International Journal Of Yoga. 5 (1). 11 January 2012. 
• "Effect of yoga on different aspects of mental health.". ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 28 December 2016. 
• "Astavarga plants–threatened medicinal herbs of the North-West Himalaya". Google Scholar. 2 (4). 21 November 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2016. 
• "Human Consciousness: A Theoretical Prospective on Repetitive DNA Base Pairs Relation to Psychological Behavior". NeuroQuantology. 11 (4). December 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2016. 
• "Blood pressure and purdue pegboard scores in individuals with hypertension after alternate nostril breathing, breath awareness, and no intervention". ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 28 December 2016. 
• "Reaction time following yoga bellows-type breathing and breath awareness.". ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/. National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 28 December 2016. 
• "Effect of yoga or physical exercise on physical, cognitive and emotional measures in children". ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 28 December 2016. 
• "Immediate changes in muscle strength and motor speed following yoga breathing.". ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 9 January 2017. 
• "Role of Respiration in Mind-Body Practices: Concepts from Contemporary Science and Traditional Yoga Texts". ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 9 January 2017. 
• "Blood Pressure and Heart Rate Variability during Yoga-Based Alternate Nostril Breathing Practice and Breath Awareness". basic.medscimonit.com. International Scientific Information. Retrieved 9 January 2017. 
• "Blood Pressure and Heart Rate Variability during Yoga-Based Alternate Nostril Breathing Practice and Breath Awareness". ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 9 January 2017. 
• "Research on Traditional Medicine: What Has Been Done, the Difficulties, and Possible Solutions". Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (eCAM). 2014. 12 June 2014. Retrieved 9 January 2017. 
• "A comparative controlled trial comparing the effects of yoga and walking for overweight and obese adults.". ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 9 January 2017. 
• "A rapid and simple scheme for the standardization of polyherbal drugs". International Journal of Green Pharmacy. 3 (2). Retrieved 9 January 2017. 
• "Effect of one week of yoga on function and severity in rheumatoid arthritis". http://bmcresnotes.biomedcentral.com. BioMed Central Ltd. Retrieved 9 January 2017. 
• "Implications of Corporate Yoga". intechopen.com. IN TECH. Retrieved 9 January 2017. 
• "Managing Mental Health Disorders Resulting from Trauma through Yoga". Hindawi Publishing Corporation. 2012. 13 March 2012. Retrieved 9 January 2017. 
• "Optical topography recording of cortical activity during high frequency yoga breathing and breath awareness". medscimonit.com. International Scientific Information. Retrieved 9 January 2017. 
• "Body fat location and cardiovascular disease risk factors in overweight female adolescents and eutrophic female adolescents with a high percentage of body fat.". ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 9 January 2017. 
• "Human gut Micro biota of Obese and lean individual." (PDF). pharmaresearchlibrary.com. International Journal of Current Trends in Pharmaceutical Research. Retrieved 9 January 2017. 
• "Corporate Yoga and Its Implications". researchgate.net. researchgate.net. Retrieved 9 January 2017. 
• "Corporate Yoga and Its Implications". http://link.springer.com. Springer International Publishing AG. Retrieved 9 January 2017. 
• "Post traumatic stress symptoms and heart rate variability in Bihar flood survivors following yoga: a randomized controlled study". http://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com. Springer Nature Logo. Retrieved 9 January 2017. 
• "Yoga and diet change influence renal functions in the obese.". medscimonit.com. International Scientific Information. Retrieved 9 January 2017. 

• ‘Bharat Gaurav’ award by Kaptan Singh Solanki, Governor of Haryana and Punjab in recognition of his amazing work in the field of Ayurveda.
• Bloomberg Special Recognition Award
• Ganga Ratan Award
• Spirit & Entrepreneurship Award by ISOL.

World Records

• Longest Telecasted Daily Show on Medicinal Use of Herbs.

 Daily show on the use of herbs and Aurvedic medicinal plants is being telecasted on Aastha channel since more than ten years. 

• A Book Published in Most Languages.

 Till Aug 04, 2016; the book Ayurved Siddhant Rahasya authored by Acharya Balkrishna ji from Patanjali Yogpeeth, has been published in Sixty Three (63) languages.

• Largest Selling Book on Ayurveda.

 Till Nov 04, 2016; Ten Million (10000000) copies of the book ‘Aushadh Darshan’ authored by Acharya Balkrishna ji from Patanjali Yogpeeth, Haridwar has been sold. 

• Most Manuscripts Published by an Individual.

Till Aug 04, 2016; Acharya Balkrishna from Patanjali Yogpeeth Haridwar, has published Seventeen (17) manuscripts in the form of books through Divya Prakashan.

Balkrishna has been embroiled in a number of controversies including those that question his Indian citizenship and academic qualifications.

The Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) registered a case against Balkrishna in 2011 and arrested him on charges of forgery and cheating. The agency claimed that his passport was issued based on forged high school and graduation certificates and that he owned a pistol without a legal permit. Subsequently, the Enforcement Directorate filed a case against him on charges of money laundering, but after a 2-year investigation found no evidence of wrongdoing and gave Balkrishna a clean chit in 2014. and another against him and a Naresh Chandra Dwivedi, the principal of the Sanskrit college which allegedly issued the fake certificate. The cases were closed in 2014.