Modern India is experiencing an unusual and synergetic blend of the traditional and the modern in both domestic as well as in the international arena. On one hand, Indian Information Technology is being hailed as a power to reckon with, and on the other, the traditional Indian knowledge systems like Ayurveda, Yoga, etc. are beginning to be applied seriously. In the last few decades, there has been a wide acceptance of Yoga in western nations. More and more people from all over the world are also flocking to India to get the Yogic solution to their health problems. As the demand for Yoga is increasing, there is also a corresponding increase in the number of scientists studying and conducting research in the field of Yoga.
II. The Present problem and the envisaged solution
Though the number of persons studying and conducting research in the field of Yoga has increased multifold, there has not been a matching increase to facilitate learning and research in this field. Necessary and efficient tools have not been developed to facilitate easy and correct understanding of the Yogic texts. This is due to the fact that there are an incredible number of Yogic texts that deal with different aspects like the Asana, Pranayama, Hatha Yoga and so on. It is estimated that there are at least 10,000 texts that deal with Yoga and its allied topics in India. These works are predominantly in Sanskrit. Apart from Sanskrit, there are many works written in other regional languages and English also. Out of the ancient manuscripts that are both in palm-leaf, paper and other traditional forms, it is estimated that only about 150 – 200 works have been published. Even expert Yoga practitioners and scholars do not know even the names or other details about the remaining texts. Further there is no ready reckoner to know if a book has been published or not. There is also no Catalogue that readily gives even the basic details like name, author, sub-division of Yoga with which the text deals etc of all the manuscripts / books on Yoga available in the different libraries / collections of India and abroad. This is a big handicap as far as Yoga practitioners, scholars and researchers are concerned. For example, if a person wants to know whether a particular commentary or translation of the Yoga Sutras or Hatha-pradipika has been published or not, there is no way he can do it at present, without undergoing undue difficulty. One is not assured of obtaining the desired result even if he travels all over the country and personally visits the different institutions. Similar is the case, if a person wants to know if a particular work about which the name alone is known, exists or not. It is also not possible to know how many copies of a particular work are available, the location where it is available and other such details. Thus this lack of proper information is severely hampering original and basic research in Yoga and the allied topics.
To overcome this acute and critical problem, the current project that brings out a comprehensive, Classified, Electronic Master descriptive catalogue of all manuscripts and books on Yoga has been devised. This Electronic Master descriptive catalogue contains information about the most works of Yoga, authored in Sanskrit, English and other regional languages of India. This helps Yoga practitioners, scholars and researchers in their respective professions and facilitates further research in Yoga and bring to light many hitherto unknown theories of health and well being, and also remedies to the diseases that are afflicting the people at large. It can also create awareness in the world about the original contributions of our forefathers to this field. This also facilitates extensive research into the practical and theoretical aspects of the original texts of Indian systems of philosophy, especially Yoga philosophy.