MATTER - THE MANY FACETS OF BEING

The early scientists were naturally enough the philosophers - the universe, physical matter, cause and effect ... were knowledge sought by both.

The Nyaya-Vaisesika school was foremost in this respect, approaching the subject with characteristic thoroughness. The followers of this system recognized nine elements or substances -

• Earth
• Water
• Fire
• Air
• Ether
• Time
• Space
• Soul
• Mind

The Padarthadharma Sangraha (also known as the Prasastapada-bhasya) and the culminatingVaisesika Sutra accept the existence of atomic particles and their role in physical and chemical reactions.

The Samkhya school was no less revolutionary in its recognition of the energy principle and the naturally-occurring conservation of energy in the very creation of matter. This was a result of the school's preoccupation with the creation and evolution of matter. Further, it postulated the idea of Prakrti and its three constituent gunas -

Satva: the essence or the 'intelligence' of matter;
Rajas: the active principle in matter;
Tamas: the inactive principle or inertia within matter.

The Jains believed that pudgala (substance, matter) was in a state of constant flux, integrating and disintegrating due to the atomic basis to matter.

Buddhists perceived matter through its rupa (outward form) and qualities of sound, taste, touch and smell. While they certainly accepted the idea of atomism, they did not subscribe to the concept of atoms as the Vaisesikas understood it. The Sarvativadins in particular were opposed to the theories of the Nyaya-Vaisesika system.

The Duality Of Matter

The Nyaya-Vaisesika school also held that a substance can be assigned a samkhya (number-property) corresponding to the relationship of the whole to the parts. This relationship is expressed via jnana (cognition). For example, the number-property dvitya (duality) is expressed through two cognitions - when the duality (or two-ness) is referred to as being related to each part of the pair, the relation is regarded as being one of samavaya (inherence), and the cognition Ayam dvitvavam (this one is the locus of two-ness) is born. When the duality is spoken of in connection to the (collective) parts, the cognition Imau dvak (these are two) arises. This relation is regarded as paryapti (completion) and recognized as a svarupa sambandha (self-connecting relation).

This connection between parts (vyakti) and whole (jati) applies to number properties of one-ness, two-ness, three-ness etc. It is certainly to be kept in mind that the Vaisesikas did not include notions that could not be connected ontologically (a whole presupposes parts, and vice-versa).

SOURCES :

The Cultural Heritage of India
Editors - Priyadaranjan Ray & S.N. Sen
Publishers - The Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture

History of Science & Technology in India
Editors - G. Kuppuram & K. Kumudamami
Publishers - Sundeep Prakashan

Concise Encyclopedia of Science and Technology
Publishers - McGraw-Hill.

Masters of the Millennium - 100 Indians who shaped the century
Publishers - The Sunday Observer (special edition).

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