A History of Hindu Chemistry from the Earliest Times to the Middle of the Sixteenth Century A.D. v2.c34.55

v2.c34.55

Space must be distinguished as Desa (locus, or rather extension) and Dik (relative position). Space (Dik), as the totality of position, or as an order of co-existent points, is wholly relative to the Understanding, like order in time, being constructed on the basis of relations of position intuited by our empirical (or relative) consciousness. But there is this difference between Space-order and Time-order :—there is no unit of Space as position (Dik), though we may conceive a unit of Time, viz., the moment (क्षण) regarded as the unit of change in the phenomenal or causal series (परमाणुक्रिया or गुणपरिणामस्य क्षणवचनात्—योगवात्तिक, Sutra 51, Pada III.) Spatial position (Dik results only from the different relations in which the all-pervasive A'kása stands to the various finite (or bounded) objects On the other hand, Space as extension or locus of a finite body, Desa, (देश: स्थित्याधार:), has an ultimate unit, being analysable into the infinitesimal extensive quantity inherent in the Reals (Gunas) of Prakriti. (गुणप्रक्ते-रणुपरिणाम:—योगवात्तिक। एतेन नित्या दिगपि अप्रामाणिकी व्याख्याता, सामान्यतो दिग्व्यवहाराभावात्। पूर्वादिव्यवहारस्य दिगुपाधिभिरेव सम्भवात्। सामान्यतः कालदिग्व्यवहारस्त्वेऽपि आकाशादेव तदुपपत्तेश्च। कालाच्च दिश्ययं विशेष: यत् काल: क्षणरूप इष्यते, दिक् तु सर्व्वथैव नेष्यते।)