History of Chemistry in Ancient and Medieval India, Incorporating the History of Hindu Chemistry by Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray c14.s1.15

c14.s1.15

Kapila, the reputed originator of the Samkhya philosophy, believed to be the oldest of the six systems of Hindu philosophies, developed his ideas about the ultimate particles of matter in the latter part of his theory of cosmogenesis to which we have referred above. According to him five subtle or infra-atomic particles, named as *tanmatras* and imperceptible to human senses, were derived from the conscious principle, *bhutadi*—the super-subtile homogeneous matter rudiment, as a result of continued differentiation and unequal aggregation. These subsequently gave rise, by the same process, to the five grosser elements (*bhutas*) :—space or ether (*akasa*), air (*vayu*), fire (*tejas*), water (*ap*) and earth (*kshit*). These five types of grosser elements should not be confounded with five different elementary substances in the usual sense. They are regarded as representing five abstract principles, or rather a classification of substances on the basis of their properties and states of aggregation. For instance, earth, water and air may be viewed as comprising all the so-called elements or compounds of chemistry. Thus, *kshit* typifies all solids, *ap* all liquids, and *vayu* all gases. According to Samkhya, atoms (*anus*) of these grosser elements are composite units made up of infra-atomic particles (*tanmatras*). The difference in the properties of the same *bhuta* class is attributed by Samkhya to a difference in the grouping of *tanmatras* in the atoms (*anus*). The atomic theory of Samkhya bears a great resemblance to the Greek theory of elements introduced by Empedocles (490-430 B.C.).