The Positive Sciences of the Ancient Hindus c4.s6.8

c4.s6.8

The question as to the existence of a triad, a tetrad, a pentad, etc., of atoms is one of the moot points of the Nyáya-Vaisesnika. The orthodox view is that the primordial infinitesimal particles (atoms) start with an incessant vibratory motion (अनवरतपरिस्पन्दमानापरिमितपवनादिपरमाणवः, Raghunátha Siromani ; गतिशीलत्वात् पतन्नव्यपदेशाः पतन्तीति, Udayana, Kusumáñjali) and an inherent impulse that drives them to unite in pairs—a sort of "monovalency," as it were, exhausted with the formation of a binary molecule. The binary molecules now combine by threes, fours, fives, etc., to form larger aggregates as well as the variety of elementary substances, the particular collocation in any case being not only determined by physical causes, but also serving to satisfy the ends of the moral law in creation (अदृष्ट, कम्म). (द्वयगुकैर्बहुभिरारभ्यते इत्यपि नियमो, न द्वाभ्यां । बहुत्वनियमः । कदाचित् त्रिभिरारभ्यते इति त्र्यणुकमित्युच्यते, कदाचिच्चतुर्भिरारभ्यते कदाचित् पञ्चभिरिति यथेष्टं कल्पना । अदृष्टवशात् तथा तथा तेषां व्यूहो यथा यथा तदारब्धेषु अपरजातयो व्यज्यन्ते । अदृष्टकारिता सर्व्वभावानां सृष्टिः ।—Srídhara, Nyáya-Kandalí, पृथिवीनिरूपणम् । *Cf.* Váchaspati's report, Bhámatí, Chap. II., Pada II., Sutra 2. यदा चतुरणुकमारभते चतुर्णी द्वयणुकानामारम्भकत्वात्।) Prasastapáda appears to have originated this view (परमाणुद्वयणुकेषु बहुत्वसंख्या—तैरारब्धे त्र्यणुकादिलक्षणे—Prasastapáda, परिमाणनिरूपणम्) ; but that another view was also maintained in the Vaiseshika school is evident from the brief summary of Kanáda's system given in Utpala's commentary on the Vrihatsamhitá, and this indeed also follows from Śrídhara's admissions in the Kandalí. On this view, also, atoms have an inherent tendency to unite; but some unite in pairs, others in triads, others in tetrads, etc. This may happen in two ways—either by the atoms falling into groups of threes, fours, etc., direct, or by the successive addition of one atom to each preceding aggregate.