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218 : Scientific Contents in Prākṛta Canons
mentioned in the canons are physical. They have been mentioned in connection with explaining religious or philosophical facts so that they may be easily intelligible to laymen. They, however, represent what was commonly known at those times. The chemical changes are few and indicate some processes in common use. They have also the illustrative purpose. It is, however, learnt that there are very few of chemical/physical processes mentioned in the canons. Quite a good number of them are found in Prāṇāvāya treatises. Still, scholars of today can easliy feel how scanty had been our knowledge in practical fields. We did not try to improve upon it for centuries and are now feeling for lagging behind seriously in current age. Table 9: Classification of changes mentioned in Canons. (a) Change of States: Physical Changes
(i) Heating, cooling and solidification of milk.
(ii) Liquidity of earths, solidifaction of water, solidification of gases.
(iii) Old Molasses and old ghee.
(b) Physical phenomena
(iv) Formation of clouds and sky-tree.
(v) Rains, fogs, lightning.
(vi) Storms and hailstorms.
(vii) Rainbow.
(viii) The aura and lines surrounding sun and moon. (ix) One to multi-atomic mattergy.
(x) Fabric made from fibres.
(xi) Absorption of fire by metals.
(xii) Separation of gold from auriferrous sands of Kuru
kşetra.
(xiii) Raw pitcher from wet clay-mixture.
(xiv) Mixture of oil and water.
(xv) Precipitation of salts on woods in salt solutions.
( xvi) Poisoning or bitter-tasting of eatables by poisonous or bitter substances.
(xvii) Swarming of dust particles in sweet wet jaggery.
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