Understand wonderful Vedic concept of matter in modern science terms.
What we know
as matter (द्रव्यम् or वस्तु ), has five physical manifestations:
1) Compact objects called solids (निविडावयवः) – they have fixed volumes (परिमाणम) and fixed
dimensions (आयतनम - that which limits spread of objects to retains its separate identity - विस्तार:
- from its environment / base – आधार-आधेय सम्बन्धः), which remains invariant under mutual
translation – if length is changed to breadth or height etc., (विस्तारस्य यथैवार्थ आयामेन प्रकाशितः।
तथारोहसमुच्छ्रायौ पर्यायवाचिनौ मतौ). In atomic scales, it is dominated by the strong nuclear
interaction (अन्तर्यामसम्बन्धः) and in the macro world, its effect is seen as contraction (आकुञ्चनम).
2) Loosely held objects called fluids (त रलावयवः) – they do not have fixed dimensions, but have fixed
volumes. In atomic scales, it is dominated by part of the weak nuclear interaction (वहिर्यामसम्बन्धः)
leading to conversion of proton to neutron and vice versa. In the macro world, its effect is seen
as limited expansion from low concentration to contraction towards high concentration - fall
(अवक्षेपणम).
3) Remotely held objects called heat or radiation (विरलावयवः) – they have neither fixed dimensions
nor fixed volume. In atomic scales, it is dominated by the electromagnetic interaction
(उपयामसम्बन्धः) and in the macro world, its effect is seen as moving from high concentration to
low concentration (प्रसारणम).
4) Energy that flows (वाति) and provides motion to everything (वायु ). In atomic scales, it is dominated
by the radioactive decay (यातयामसम्बन्धः) and in the macro world, its effect is seen as explosions
(उत्क्षेपणम).
The above four are intra-body or confined interactions (याम सम्बन्ध - या प्रापणे), which must be
contained (विधृति:) in a container or a field like energy and the field, and where both interact
separately based on their own nature (charge – स्वरूपसम्बन्धः). For example, the strong interaction
exhibits proximity-proximity (संस्त्यान-संस्त्यान) tendencies of both components, whereas the
weak interaction shows proximity-distance (संस्त्यान-प्रसवः) tendencies of both components.
5) The fifth is an interbody interaction (वृतितत्वसम्बन्धः), where both attract each other (आकषर्णम),
which requires not only more than one bodies having similar properties (like mass) in a field and
treats the bodies as point particles (कूटस्थः), but also a constant factor representing the ratio
between them, which keeps the bodies from each other from a common barycenter (नाभि :) at the
maximum possible distance (स्तोममहत् उरुगायप्रतिष्ठा). This appears as gravitational interaction
(उदयामसम्बन्धः). The space (आकाशम,ख, शून्यम) acts as the universal background (प्रतिष्ठा) where
everything exists (आधारशकित्तः प्रथमा) and which connects the intervals between every object
(सर्वसंयोचगिां मता), though not getting involved with anything (अन्तरिक्षमम्– अन्तरा क्षान्तं भवति).
In both atomic scales and in the macro world, it provides motion (गमन) that keeps the two bodies
equidistance from a common barycenter (उरुगायप्रतिष्ठा).
These five are called Bhoota - भूतम (from root भू सत्ता॑याम + अधिकरणादयर्थेषु क्त:) meaning whatever has
existence, or whatever exists together with others (अथवा भुवोऽवकल्क॑नेमिश्रीकरण इत्येके) . Also because
they are Bhooma – (भूमा) all pervasive – found everywhere or these provide us everything we want ( भू प्राप्तौ). These five are called Prithwee, Jal, Teja, Vaayu and Aakaasha ( पृथ्वी जल, तेज:, वायु:,अकाशम )respectively. They are not Earth, water, fire, air and space, though these are covered in those descriptions.
For example, Earth is Prithwee, which is solid (चरणसञ्चारोग्य), but Prithwee is not limited to Earth only.
Everything including our bodies are constituted of these five elements. Whatever solid in our body, is
Prithwee. All fluid are Jal, all heat is Teja. All motion is Vaayu. All intervals are Aakaash. Kashyapa describes
which component of the body is derived from which elements.
Relate this concept with concept of Vaata, Kapha, Vayu. (https://relateworld.com/basudeba/post/215)
#vedic #science
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