History of Chemistry in Ancient and Medieval India, Incorporating the History of Hindu Chemistry by Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray c39.s6.30

c39.s6.30

The earlier Samkhyas including the medical schools of ancient India brushed all this aside as a distinction without a difference. The Vedantists, as we shall presently see, flouted this doctrine of *arambha-vada*. The Jainas, in opposing this Vaiseshika view of atomic combination, hit upon a solution of the problem of chemical affinity. Others again, found out a *via media*. They held that a molecule of the structure EA (one atom of *earth* and one atom of *ap*) would exhibit some variety of colour and taste resulting from the joint action of the atoms and of their several colours and tastes. But as in the combination EA only the *earth-atom* possesses smell, and the *ap-atom* is smell-less, and as, moreover, no quality in a compound substance can result except from the joint action of the similar (potential) qualities of at least two component elements, it follows that a molecule of the structure EA would not manifest the energy of smell, potentially contained in the *earth-atom*. Hence, admitting the combination EA for a smell-less compound, the upholders of this view would suppose a molecule of the type E₂A (i.e., two atoms of *earth* and one of *ap*, to explain any bhautic compound of earth and *ap* (like the plant saps and fruit juices), which exhibits smell in addition to the peculiarities of colour and taste.