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SÜTRA 10.
85
(Pudgala has pradeśas which are numerable, innumerable and , infinite.)
संखेज्जासंखेज्जाणंतपदेसा हवंति मुत्तस्स ।। 195 The scientific division of Pudgala is as follows : (1) Concrete and (2) invisible. The concrete form we call Matter and the invisible form, Energy.
Matter is further divided into solids, liquids, and gases. All these three forms of matter consists of molecules (skandhas) and atoms (skandha-deśas)96. Atoms are again an assemblage of indivisible elementary particles (947979:), protons and electrons and their combinations. The number of electrons in the universe has been estimated by Professor Einstein to be 12900000000000000000000000 000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
(i.e., 129 followed by 77 chiphers or 80 digits in all.)"97
Now this is a finite number although very huge. The number of other elementary particles has not been estimated. Then there are the condensed forms of matier, such as those referred to in page 13 14 ante the nuclear matter as it is called weighing 620 tons to a cubic inch-in which there is an extremely close packing of particles beyond human estimation? Then there are electrons of negative mass (see page 94) which do not in any way betray their existence, those which have retired for good from the drama of the universe and whose presence cannot be detected by any measurements whatsoever, thus rendering it impossible to count their number. So the author of the Sutra says; the number of parts into which matter and energy is divided may be finite or infinite according to the different considerations.
195. Niyamasara, 35. 196. UT OAT YET T Biter TETI इदि ते चदुब्बियप्पा पुग्गलकाया मणेयबा।।
(Par castikāyasara, 80) 196. (Matter is composed of molecules, atoms, ionised atoms and invisible elementary particles, such electrons, protons, positrons and heavy electrons of modern science.
For 'ionised atoms' read page 12 ante. Heavy electron, which is 50 times heavier than the ordinary electron, is a recent discovery. (Science and Culture, November 1937), 197. Quoted from the Presidential Address of Professor A. S. Eddington to the Physical Society of London and Published in the Proceedings of the Society, January 1932
