Ancient INDIA - Physics & Chemistry
sudheer_...@hotmail.com
Namaste,
Given below is an extract from the web edition of a book on the above
subject. For more on this visit the site:
"http://members.tripod.com/~sudbee/physics.html"
"It would be surprising for many Indians today to know that the concepts
of atom (Ann, Parmanu) and relativity (Sapekshavada) were explicitly
stated by an Indian philosopher nearly 600 years before the brith of
Christ. These ideas which were of fundamental import had been developed in
India in a very abstract manner. This was so as their exponents were not
physicians in today's sense of the term. They were philosophers and their
ideas about the physical reality were integrated with those of philosophy
and theology.
The Five Basic Physical Elements
From the Vedic times, around 3000 B.C. to 1000 B.C., Indians (Indo-Aryans)
had classified the material world into four elements viz. Earth (Prithvi),
fire (Agni), air (Maya) and water (Apa). To these four elements was added
a fifth one viz. ether or Akasha. Ac cording to some scholars these five
elements or Pancha Mahabhootas were identified with the various human
senses of perception; earth with smell, air with feeling, fire with
vision, water with taste and ether with sound. Whatever the validity
behind this interpretation, it is true that since very ancient times
Indians had perceived the material world as comprising these 5 elements.
The Buddhist philosophers who came later, rejected ether as an element and
replaced it with life, joy and sorrow.
INDIAN IDEAS ABOUT ATOMIC PHYSICS
Since ancient times Indian philosophers believed that except Akash
(ether), all other elements were physically palpable and hence comprised
miniscule particles of matter. The last miniscule particle of matter which
could not be subdivided further was termed Parmanu. The word Parmanu is a
combination of Param, meaning beyond, and any meaning atom.
Thus the term Parmanu is suggestive of the possibility that, at least at
an abstract level Indian philosophers in ancient times had conceived the
possibility of splitting an atom which, as we know today, is the source of
atomic energy. This Indian concept of the atom was developed
independently and prior to the development of the idea in the Greco-Roman
world. The first Indian philosopher who formulated ideas about the atom in
a systematic manner was Kanada who lived in the 6th century B.C. Another
Indian philosopher, Pakudha Katyayana who also lived in the 6th century
B.C. and was a contemporary of Gautama Buddha, had also propounded ideas
about the atomic constitution of the material world.
These philosophers considered the Atom to be indestructible and
hence eternal. The Buddhists believed atoms to be minute objects invisible
to the naked eye and which come into being and vanish in an instant. The
Vaisheshika school of philosophers believed that an atom was a mere point
in space. Indian theories about the atom are greatly abstract and enmeshed
in philosophy as they were based on logic and not on personal experience
or experimentation.
Thus the Indian theories lacked an empirical base, but in the words of
A.L.Basham, the veteran Australian Indologist "they were brilliant
imaginative explanations of the physical structure of the world, and in a
large measure, agreed with the discoveries of modern physics."
For more on this I invite you to visit the site :
"http://members.tripod.com/~sudbee/physics.html"
Regards
Sudheer
-------------------==== Posted via Deja News ====-----------------------
http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Post to Usenet
Chetan Gadgil
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sudheer_...@hotmail.com wrote:
> Namaste,
>
> Given below is an extract from the web edition of a book on the above
> subject. For more on this visit the site:
>
> "http://members.tripod.com/~sudbee/physics.html"
>
> "It would be surprising for many Indians today to know that the concepts
> of atom (Ann, Parmanu) and relativity (Sapekshavada) were explicitly
> stated by an Indian philosopher nearly 600 years before the brith of
> Christ. These ideas which were of fundamental import had been developed in
> India in a very abstract manner. This was so as their exponents were not
> physicians in today's sense of the term. They were philosophers and their
>
"Physicists" sudheer, NOT physicians. A physician is sort of a doctor.So
could be a "physicist" if a PhD.
--
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chetan Gadgil
Everything in my response is correct. If it does not agree
with reality, it's reality that has got it wrong.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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<HTML>
sudheer_...@hotmail.com wrote:
<BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE>Namaste,
<P>Given below is an extract from the web edition of a book on the above
<BR>subject. For more on this visit the site:
<P>"<A HREF="http://members.tripod.com/~sudbee/physics.html">http://members.tripod.com/~sudbee/physics.html</A>"
<P>"It would be surprising for many Indians today to know that the concepts
<BR>of atom (Ann, Parmanu) and relativity (Sapekshavada) were explicitly
<BR>stated by an Indian philosopher nearly 600 years before the brith of
<BR>Christ. These ideas which were of fundamental import had been developed
in
<BR>India in a very abstract manner. This was so as their exponents were
not
<BR>physicians in today's sense of the term. They were philosophers and
their
<BR> </BLOCKQUOTE>
"Physicists" sudheer, NOT physicians. A physician is sort of a doctor.So
could be a "physicist" if a PhD.
<BR>
<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE>ideas about the physical reality were integrated
with those of philosophy
<BR>and theology.
<P>The Five Basic Physical Elements
<P>From the Vedic times, around 3000 B.C. to 1000 B.C., Indians (Indo-Aryans)
<BR>had classified the material world into four elements viz. Earth (Prithvi),
<BR>fire (Agni), air (Maya) and water (Apa). To these four elements was
added
<BR>a fifth one viz. ether or Akasha. Ac cording to some scholars these
five
<BR>elements or Pancha Mahabhootas were identified with the various human
<BR>senses of perception; earth with smell, air with feeling, fire with
<BR>vision, water with taste and ether with sound. Whatever the validity
<BR>behind this interpretation, it is true that since very ancient times
<BR>Indians had perceived the material world as comprising these 5 elements.
<BR>The Buddhist philosophers who came later, rejected ether as an element
and
<BR>replaced it with life, joy and sorrow.
<P>INDIAN IDEAS ABOUT ATOMIC PHYSICS
<P>Since ancient times Indian philosophers believed that except Akash
<BR>(ether), all other elements were physically palpable and hence comprised
<BR>miniscule particles of matter. The last miniscule particle of matter
which
<BR>could not be subdivided further was termed Parmanu. The word Parmanu
is a
<BR>combination of Param, meaning beyond, and any meaning atom.
<P>Thus the term Parmanu is suggestive of the possibility that, at least
at
<BR>an abstract level Indian philosophers in ancient times had conceived
the
<BR>possibility of splitting an atom which, as we know today, is the source
of
<BR>atomic energy. This Indian concept of the atom was developed
<BR>independently and prior to the development of the idea in the Greco-Roman
<BR>world. The first Indian philosopher who formulated ideas about the
atom in
<BR>a systematic manner was Kanada who lived in the 6th century B.C. Another
<BR>Indian philosopher, Pakudha Katyayana who also lived in the 6th century
<BR>B.C. and was a contemporary of Gautama Buddha, had also propounded
ideas
<BR>about the atomic constitution of the material world.
<P>These philosophers considered the Atom to be indestructible and
<BR>hence eternal. The Buddhists believed atoms to be minute objects invisible
<BR>to the naked eye and which come into being and vanish in an instant.
The
<BR>Vaisheshika school of philosophers believed that an atom was a mere
point
<BR>in space. Indian theories about the atom are greatly abstract and enmeshed
<BR>in philosophy as they were based on logic and not on personal experience
<BR>or experimentation.
<P>Thus the Indian theories lacked an empirical base, but in the words
of
<BR>A.L.Basham, the veteran Australian Indologist "they were brilliant
<BR>imaginative explanations of the physical structure of the world, and
in a
<BR>large measure, agreed with the discoveries of modern physics."
<P>For more on this I invite you to visit the site :
<P>"<A HREF="http://members.tripod.com/~sudbee/physics.html">http://members.tripod.com/~sudbee/physics.html</A>"
<P>Regards
<P>Sudheer
<P>-------------------==== Posted via Deja News ====-----------------------
<BR> <A HREF="http://www.dejanews.com/">http://www.dejanews.com/</A>
Search, Read, Post to Usenet</BLOCKQUOTE>
<PRE>--
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chetan Gadgil
Everything in my response is correct. If it does not agree</PRE>
<PRE>with reality, it's reality that has got it wrong.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------</PRE>
</HTML>
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