A History of Hindu Chemistry from the Earliest Times to the Middle of the Sixteenth Century A.D. v2.c34.316

v2.c34.316

The question as to the existence of a triad, a tetrad, a pentad etc. of atoms is one of the moot points of the Nyáya-Vaiseshika. The orthodox view is that, the primordial infinitesimal particles (atoms) start with an incessant vibratory motion (अनवरतपरिस्पन्दमानापरिमितपवनादिपरमाणवः, Raghunátha S'iromani—गतिशोलत्वात् पततव्यपदेशः पतन्तोति, Udayana, Kusumáñjali), and an inherent impulse that drives them to unite in pairs—a sort of ‘monovalency’, as it were, exhausted with the formation of a binary molecule. The binary molecules now combine by threes, fours, fives, etc. to form larger aggregates as well as the variety of elementary substances, the particular collocation in any case being not only determined by physical causes, but also serving to satisfy the ends of the moral Law in creation (अदृष्ट, कर्म). (द्व्यणुकैर्ब्यणुकमारभ्यते इत्यपिनियमो, न द्वाभ्यां। बहुषु त्वनियमः। कदाचित् त्रिभिरा- रभ्यते इति । वत्रणुकमित्यन्यते, कदाचिच्चतुर्भि रारभ्यते कदाचित् पञ्चभिरिति यथेष्टं कल्पना । अदृष्टवशात् तथा तथा तेषां व्यूहो यथा यथा तदारब्धेषु अपरजातयो व्यज्यन्ते । अदृष्टकारिता सर्वभावानां सृष्टिः । S'ridhara, Nyāya-Kandalī, पृथिवीनिरूपणम् ।) Cf. Váchaspati's report, Bhámatí, Chap. II., Pada II. Sútra II. यदा चतुरणुकमारभते चतुर्णां द्वयणुकानमारम्भकत्वात् ). Prasastapáda appears to have originated this view ( परमाणुद्वयणुकमेषु बहुत्वसंख्या--तदारब्धे वत्रणुकादिलक्षणे--Prasastapáda, परिमाणनिरूपणम् ); but that another view was also maintained in the Vaiseshika School is evident from the brief summary of Kanáda's system given in Utpala's commentary on the Vrihatsamhitá, and this indeed also follows from S'ridhara's admissions in the Kandalí. On this view, also, atoms have an inherent tendency to unite, but some unite in pairs, others in triads, others in tetrads, etc. This may happen in two ways,—either by the atoms falling into groups of threes, fours, etc. direct, or by the successive addition of one atom to each preceding aggregate.