The Positive Sciences of the Ancient Hindus c4.s2.41

c4.s2.41

The earlier Sánkhyas including the medical schools of ancient India brushed all this aside as a distinction without a difference. The Vedántists, as we shall presently see, flouted this doctrine of Árambha-váda. 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, as we learn from the reports of Udyotakara in the Nyáya-vártika, and of Váchaspati Misra in the Tátparyyatíká, that a molecule of the structure EA (one atom of Earth and one 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 bi-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. *Cf.* Váchaspati’s comment on Udyotakara’s refutation of this view:—