History of Chemistry in Ancient and Medieval India, Incorporating the History of Hindu Chemistry by Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray c39.s4.2

c39.s4.2

*Cosmogenesis*—(a bird's-eye view) —Out of the all pervasive rudiment-matter (*bhutadi*) appeared *akasa* (ether), first as a *tanmatra* (subtile matter) charged with the potential energy of sound (vibration-potential), and then as an atomic integration of a *mono-tanmatric* structure (the *akasa*-atom), also ubiquitous and all-enveloping. In the next stage we find a new kind of *tanmatras*, systems of the infra-atomic vibratory particles, so arranged as to manifest a new form of energy, that of impact or mechanical pressure, and these tanmatras combining with the vibration-potentials (*akasa tanmatra*) produced a new kind of atom, the *di-tanmatric vayu* atom, which by aggregation formed a gaseous Envelope composed of impinging (driving) vibratory particles (*vayu*). Next appeared the third class of *tanmatras*, infra atomic systems of the impinging vibratory particles, which by their collocation developed a new form of Energy—the Energy of radiant heat-and-light. These *tanmatras*, combining with the potentials (*tanmatras*) of vibration and impact, produced a new kind of atom—the *tri-tanmatric tejas* atom, the light-and-heat-corpuscle, which by aggregation enveloped the gaseous world in huge flames In the next stage we have the fourth class of *tanmatras*, new and complex infra-atomic systems of the radiant impinging vibratory particles, which evolved the Energy of viscous attraction as well as the potential Energy concerned in the taste-stimulus. These *tanmatras*, combining with the three previous ones, gave rise to another class of atoms, the *tetra-tanmatric ap*-atom, and the flaming gases were thus precipitated into cosmic masses of viscous fluid matters (*ap*). Finally appeared the fifth class of *tanmatras*, infra-atomic systems of the viscous radiant impinging vibratory particles, which developed new forms of Energy—the Energy of cohesive attraction, as well as the potential Energy concerned in the stimulus of smell. These *tanmatras*, uniting with the other four kinds of infra-atomic subtile particles, formed another class of atoms, the *penta-tanmatric kshiti*-atom. Thus the viscous fluid matter were condensed and transformed into the earth-*bhuta*, comprising the majority of the so-called elements of chemistry.