The Positive Sciences of the Ancient Hindus c4.s6.23

c4.s6.23

But while every Bhúta can act dynamically as उपष्टम्भक, "energizer," "exciter," it is the Earth Bhúta alone which is capable of exercising (1) the power of arrest or inhibition of molecular motion, or the motion of particles due to gravity as in fluids (Vishtambha, विष्टम्भ) ; or (2) the power of counteracting the tendency in a given set of atoms to fall into a peculiar order or group (व्यूहविरोधित्वम्). (न च पार्थिववत् अम्भो द्रव्यान्तरं गन्धद्रिङ्ग्ङधाति पूर्वव्यूहं वा विरुणद्धि।—Udayana, Kiranávalí, पृथिवी-निरूपणम्। विष्टम्भकत्वं स्वाभाविकगुरुत्वाश्रयद्रव्यान्तरगतिप्रतिबन्ध-कत्वम्। व्यूहविरोधित्वं च स्वाभाविकगुरुत्ववत्पतनप्रतिबन्धकत्वम्।—Vardhamána, Kiranávalíprakása, *ibid.*)