________________
232 : Scientific Contents in Prākṛta Canons
finest constituent of matter with the qualities of indivisibility, impenetratibility, incombustibility and sense-imperceptibility. It is a true point without dimensions. It is ultimate and eternal unit. Despite its basic eternal nature, it undergoes changes to form molecules and gross matter. In contrast with the Greeks, the Jainas and Vaiseṣikas have attched touch, taste, smell and colour to it with the difference that the Jainas presume all the four qualities co-existing in all atoms. It can easily be guessed that the Jaina view is more scientific. This is exemplified by air when it is liquified. Earth and water definitely have all the four. Fire atoms have been shown to possess taste and smell too24. The Vaiseṣika statement25 of other than specified qualities in atoms being not natural but casual does not, thus, stand scrutiny. These qualities have been classified and we find a good amount of difference there too as shown earlier. It is because of these qualities that the atom and matter are termed 'rūpi' or with form.
It is said that at least five out of twenty sub-classes of these qualities exist in an atom at a time 1. taste, 1. colour, 1. smell and two touches (temperature and one of the electrical natures )26. The basic atom is, thus, a 4-touch one. The real atom may be 4-touch or 8- touch one. Other qualities develop later. This suggests that mass and density are not assumed to be basic properties of atoms by the Jainas. Javeri and Munishri27 call these basic atoms as forms of energy. This concept may not be valid in these days of relativity when all forms of energies are also supposed to possess mass, howsoever small
may be. In olden days, it was just impossible to feel even for such an infinitesimal mass. It is even today imperceptible by senses and instruments. The atoms are, therefore, basically said to be aguru-laghu 28 ( neither-heavy nor-light) rather than massless. Radhakrishnan seems to be partially right when he points out Jaina atom to possess weight. In fact, this word or quality shows the limitations of reason and thoughts on this point. By this, the two terms rūpi and aguru-laghu should
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
