A History of Hindu Chemistry from the Earliest Times to the Middle of the Sixteenth Century A.D. v2.c34.330

v2.c34.330

B. Hetero-Bhautic ‘quasi-compounds’.— The Nyáya-Vaiseshika maintains that in the case of bi-Bhautic (or poly-Bhautic ) compounds, which are only quasi-compounds, there is another kind of contact between the heterogeneous atoms of the different Bhútas, which may be called dynamic contact and is distinguished in its operations as Upashtambha, Vishtambha or Avashtambha (उपस्तम्भ, विष्टम्भ or अवस्तम्भ). In some cases, it so happens that the atoms of different isomeric modes of the same Bhúta do not chemically combine under the mere application of heat ;— they require to be surrounded (and ‘excited’, ‘energised’) by atoms of different Bhútas. For example, in the case of the oils and fats as well as of plant saps and fruit juices the Earth-atoms must be dissolved in water (Ap), and it is only when the water-atoms (Ap-atoms ) congregate round the former that dynamic intra-atomic forces are set up, and the Earth-atoms (with the water atoms in dynamic contact) now take on peculiar infra-sensible characters (colours, tastes, smells) under the impact of the heat corpuscles, and then, under further impact, fall into groupings or collocations (of a very peculiar nature, to be presently explained) which determine the nature of the composite substance thus produced. Here it is the water atoms that are dynamic (उपष्टम्भक), and excite the Earth-atoms, and these substances, oils and fats (तैलवर्ग and घृतवर्ग), as well as acids (अम्लवर्ग) are, because of the Earth radicles, regarded as Earth-compounds (or Earth-substances). (पाकज-तथाविधगन्धरसरूपादिमद्भिः परमाणुभिर्द्रव्यादिक्रमेण घृतादिद्रव्यमारभ्यते । तत्र च उपष्टम्भकतया निमित्ततामापन्नाः पानीयावयवाः । तेषां संयुक्तसमवायेन स्नेहस्तत्रोपलभ्यते । तैलक्षीरादिषु पार्थिवत्वसिद्धिः । तैलस्य भौमानलेखनत्वात् घृतवत् Udayana). In the above instances, Ap (water) acts as dynamic (Upas-tambhaka, (उपष्टम्भक), but Tejas and Vāyu can also act in the same way on Earth-particles. Conversely, Earth-particles may act dynamically on the atoms of the other Bhūtas. For example, in the case of mercury and the metals which are conceived in the Nyāya-Vaisesika to be igneous bodies (in fact they are supposed to be formed under the subterranean heat आकरज ), the Tejas corpuscles are believed to form the radicles, and the Earth-particles are dynamic ( उपष्टम्भक ). ( सुवर्णोदि निरन्तरं ध्मायमानमपि न पूर्व रूपं जहाति । तेनैव द्रव्रान्तरेण प्रतिबद्वत्वात् उपष्टम्भकोऽपि पार्थिवभागः सदृशरूप एवानुवर्त्तते । यत्तु पुटपाकादिना रक्तसारता दृश्यते तन्मिश्रीभूताभिभावकतत्तद्रवोपगमात् । एतेन पारदादि वत्राख्यातम् । Udayana, Kiranávalí, तेजानिरूपणम् । Cf. also योऽपि तैजसमिच्छति सुवर्णं तेनाप्य पार्थिवोभाग उपष्टम्भक एष्टव्यः । )