History of Chemistry in Ancient and Medieval India, Incorporating the History of Hindu Chemistry by Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray c40.s3.37

c40.s3.37

According to Udayana (in Kiranavali), these original differences in molecular grouping, leading to distinctions of genera and species, however mechanically or physically explained, come under the operation of moral and metaphysical causes, i e, of ideal ends in the moral government of the Universe, which are superimposed upon the physical order, but which do not come within the scope of Natural Philosophy. An elementary substance, thus produced by primary atomic combination, may, however, suffer qualitative change under the influence of heat. The process is as follows.—(1) The impact of heat corpuscles decomposes the binary (tertiary or quarternary) molecules into homogeneous atoms possessing only the generic characters of the *bhuta* concerned;—(2) the impacts of heat particles continue, and transform the characters of the atoms, determining them all in the same way;—(3) the heat particles continue to impinge, and reunite the atoms so transformed to form binary (or other) molecules in different orders or arrangements, which account for the specific characters or qualities finally produced. The Vaiseshika holds that there is decomposition into homogeneous atoms, transformation of atomic qualities, and finally recombination, all under the influence of heat. The Nyaya, on the other hand, thinks that the molecules and larger aggregates assume the new characters under the influence of heat without decomposition into homogeneous atoms, or change of atomic characters.