The Positive Sciences of the Ancient Hindus c4.s6.17

c4.s6.17

(a) Mono-Bhautic compounds of the first order. Under the impact or impulse (अभिघात or नोदन) of heat-corpuscles, the substances in chemical contact (आरम्भक संयोग) break up into their atoms. These atoms are homogeneous, possessing only the original physical and chemical characters of the Bhúta concerned. As the specific differences between isomeric substances arise from the arrangement or collocation of the atoms, the substances lose their distinctive marks on decomposition into the latter. (न च परमाणुषु अपरजातिभेदो विद्यते न च यववीजशालिवीजपरमाणूनां कश्चिद्विशेषः।—Udyotakara, Chap. III., Áhnika 1, Sutra 4. न च शुक्रशोणितपरमाणूनां कश्चिद्विशेषः पार्थिवत्वाविशेषात्।—Śrídhara, Nyáya-Kandalí, पृथिवीनिरूपणम्।) Under the continued impact (or, it may be, impulse) of heat-particles (वेगवता वह्निद्रव्येण नादनात् अभिघातात् वा—Jayanta), these atoms take on new characters. It is heat, and heat alone, that can cause this transformation of the colours, tastes, smells, etc., in these original Bhúta-atoms. What particular colours, tastes, smells, or physical characters will be produced in the atoms depends (1) on the colours, etc., of the constituent substances in contact; (2) the intensity or degree of the heat (खर, मृदु, or मध्यम पाक); and (3) the species of Tejas-corpuscles that impinge on the atoms, or the nature of the impact (विलक्षणतेजःसंयोग). (न ब्रूमोऽग्निसंयोगात् कस्मात् रूपाद्य इति अपि तु पूर्वरूपादिविशेषापेक्षात् । यद्द्रव्यं पच्यते अग्निसंयोगेन तस्य ये पूर्वरूपाद्यस्तेषां यः स्वगतो विशेषस्तमपेक्षमाणः अग्निसंयोगः उत्तरान् रूपादीन् विशिष्टानारभते । *Vide* also Udyotakara, III., 2, Sutra 14. *Cf.* also Váchaspati, I., 1, Sutra 4. अस्माकमभेदे अपि उपादानस्य पिठरस्य ओष्यापराख्यस्य च वह्निःसंयोगस्य पूर्वरूपादिप्रध्वंसानां कारणानां भेदात् भिन्नजातीया जायन्ते गन्धरूपरसस्पर्शा इति सिद्धान्तः ।)