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CHOWDHURY & BRAHMACHARY: GERMS OF MODERN PHYSICS
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Moreover, the Jaina philosophy may be said to be the precursor of Newtonian Mechanics as well as the concept of a 4-dimensional continuum as discussed in this paper. In this aspect, our attempt is largely based on Jacobi's work.
A study of the Tattvārthādhigama-sūtra reveals that combination of several sūtras are equivalent to Newton's laws of motion formulated in the 4-dimensional space-time continuum as first enunciated by Minkowskii (which was further developed by Einstein). In order to appreciate this, let us first state Newton's first law of motion :
Every material body persists in its state of rest or of uniform motion in a straight line, if and only if, it is not compelled by an external force to change that state.
Again, Newton conceived of a 3-dimensional space and a separate time dimension. But Minkowskii in early twentieth century first enunciated a 4-dimensional space-time continuum.
Let us now deduce these from the Tattvārthādhigama-sūtras of Umāsvāti as stated by Jacobi :
The sūtras are the following: 1. ajivakāyā dharmādharmākāsapudgalāh (Sutra V, 1, Jacobi,
p. 40) i.e. the non-living things are excitatory force, inhibitory force, space and matter.
Explanatory comments: In western physics, matter, force and space (together with time) are the fundamental entities. Newtonian laws of mechanics are concerned with these entities. We note that in Jaina philosophy, too, these were recognized as fundamental; moreover two types of forces, namely dharma and adharma, were referred to. 2. asamkhyeyāh pradesā dharmādharmayoh (Sūtra V, 7, Jacobi,
p. 41) Jacobi interprets this sūtra as follows:
Regung und Hemmung haben unzählig viele Punkte. i.e., Forces (excitatory and inhibitory) are continuous, not discrete like matter. Explanatory comments :
In modern physics, we use the word 'force', instead of 'dharma' and 'adharma'. When a force stimulates a body to move, we can call it a positive force and a force checking the motion may be said to be negative. We do not use different terms to distinguish these two opposite
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