Cosmology Old and New

Author(s): G R Jain
Publisher: Bharatiya Gyanpith

Page 95

SUTRA 5.
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Matter has been divided into six sub-classes as follows :
37503-TST, , HER 7, HEH-TI सुहुमं अइसुहम इदि धरादियं होदि छब्भेयं ।। भूपव्वदमादीया भणिदा अइथलथूलमिदि खंधा। थूला इदि विण्णेया सप्पीजलतेलमादीया।। छायातवमादीया थलेदरखंधमिदि वियाणाहि। सुहुम-थूलेदि भणिया खंधा चउरक्खविसया य ।। सुहमा हति खंधा पावोग्गा कम्मवग्गणस्स पुणो।
तव्विवरीया खंधा अइसहमा इदि परूवेंदि।।150 (1) Sthula-sthula, i.e., Solids such as earth, stone and the
like. (2) Sthula, i.e., Liquids like molten ghee (butter), water
or oil. Schula-suksma. i.e., Enegry which manifests itself in
forms of heat, light, electricity and magnetism. (4) Suksma-sthula, i.e., Gases like air and others. (5) Süksma, i.e., Fine matter which is responsible for thought
activities and is beyond sense perception. (6) Suksma-suksma, i.e., Extrafine matter such as the streams
of single elementary particles, electrons, protons and positrons or of the particles like neutrons which are composed of two elementary particles each, a proton
and an electron in close union. This is the most up-to-date and scientific classification of the kinds of matter. Prior to the discovery of the electron (1876) the physicists and the chemists divided matter into three main classes, solids, liquids and gases. The advent of the theory of relativity and the elucidation of the nature of the electron necessitated an extensive revision in the conception of matter. It was shown that an electron, which is the universal constituent of matter, "is a disembodied atom of electricity free from association with matter as we know it."181
To the question “Has energy any weight?" the classical physics of Newton and Galileo gave a definitely negative answer.
150. Nirama-sara, 21-24.
151. Magnetism and Electricity by R. W. Hutchingson, M.Sc. A.M.I.E.E., Vol. II, p. 470.