A History of Hindu Chemistry from the Earliest Times to the Middle of the Sixteenth Century A.D. v2.c34.270

v2.c34.270

The supposed thickness of the just discernible mote in the sunbeam called a Paramanu in Technology, Silpa-śāstra, (and a Trasarenu in Natural Philosophy) follows directly from Varāhamihira’s table:—8 Paramánus make 1 Rajas (or Ratha-renu,—cp. the Manasara), 8 Rajas make 1 Válágra (filament of hair), 8 Válágras make 1 Likshá, 8 Likshás make 1 Yúká, 8 Yúkás make 1 Yava, 8 Yavas (the Manasara has 4) make 1 Anguli (superior), 24 Angulis make 1 Hasta (cubit, esser cubit, 18 inches). The thickness of the *minimum visibile* (the finest perceptible mote in the slanting sunbeam) is therefore taken to be 3.2⁻²⁹ or 1/349525 of an inch. The volume of a spherical Trasarenu (or Paramanu of the Silpa-sastra) would therefore be 4/3 . π 3³.2⁻⁶¹ of a cubic inch. It may be here noted that such a Trasarenu is supposed in the medical schools to contain 30 chemical atoms (Paramanus of Natural Philosophy) according to one estimate, or 60 according to another. The size of an atom must then have been conceived to be less than π.3.5⁻¹. 2⁻⁶² of a cubic inch.