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SÜTRA 32.
151
velocity appreciably the 300 miles an hour attainable by our fastest devices being too insignificant to count. Consequently relativity of distance is not a matter of common experience as the relativity of direction is. That is why we have unfortunately a rooted impression in our minds that distance ought to be absolute. "325
We thus see that even such an obvious statement like 'The length of this table is 5 ft.' is a relative statement. It may or may not be true or may both be and not be true depending upon the state of the observer. It may be true with respect to a stationary observer, may not be true with respect to a second who is in relative motion with respect to the first and the measuring rod, for, as has been proved by Einstein a moving rod contracts 326 along the line of its motion.
Referring to this contraction, Professor Eddington raises the question "Is it really true that a moving rod becomes shortened in the direction of its motion?" and he then adds : "It is not easy to give a plain answer. I think we often draw a distinction between what is true and what is really true. A statement which does not profess to deal with anything except appearances may be true; a statement which is not only true but deals with the realities beneath the appearances is really true,"327
Professor Eddington continues : "You receive a balance sheet from a public company and observe that the assets amount to such and such a figure. Is this true? Certainly; it is certified by a chartered accountant. But is it really true? Many questions arise; the real values of items are often very different from those which figure in the balance sheet. I am not especially referring to fraudulent companies. There is a blessed phrase "hidden reserves'; and, generally speaking, the more respectable the company the more widely does its balance sheet deviate from reality."
In the foot-note on page XXVI of the Prologue we have pointed out that 'true' and really true' refer to vyavahära naya and niscaya naya of Jaina logic. These two nayas (points of view) are defined as follows:
325. The Nature of The Physical World, p. 26.
326. The contraction, however, is extremely small. For a speed of 19 miles per second contraction is 1 part in 200,000,000 or 2/2 inches in a length of 8,000 miles.
327. The Nature of the Physical World, p. 33.
