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Scientific Vision of Lord Mahāvīra
Thus, electron one of the lightest particles, is a lepton and proton, the lightest of the heavy ones is a baryon. However, a few particles do not fit into the lepon-meson-baryon framework. Some of them are well-known like the photon while others have been theorized but not discovered yet like the graviton. All of them have, in common, the fact that they are massless particles. A particle that has; zero rest-mass is a massless particle. All its energy is energy of motion. Though physicists know exactly what they mean by 'massless' in a mathematical structure, in the view of J.S. Zavery and Muni Mahendra Kumar, it is difficult to describe it in non-mathematical language because the very term particle' means 'some thing that has mass'.43
There is a remarkable similarity in the views of the Jains and physicists regarding massless particle. Not only a transcedental atom, the smallest indivisible particle, is massless but all cutuhsparsi compositions also are massless. The quality of mass is found only in gross astasparsi material compositions.44
The above description of the characteristic qualities of an atom would naturally introduce qualitative difference between atoms. But the difference is only qualitative, that is, in the phases of different atoms. From the point of view of substance, every atom is identical to every other. This is the law of Non-absolutism. Motion of Atom
Mechanics and mathematics of atom as discussed in the Bh. 545 show that both the activities and movement of atom are complex, inexplicable and unpredictable. It is particularly emphasized that there is an element of uncertainty in the activities of the atom. The text describes various kinds of motion of an atom resulting from its dynamic nature. The alternate periods of rest and motion to a certain extent agrees with quantum mechanics.
Differences of the motions of atom are showed by different terms, such as, eyati, veyati, etc.47 Some of these terms indicate simple vibratory motion, whereas some others denote simple migratory motion. While still others indicate complex mixture of vibration, oscillation, emission, absorption, spin and wave-propagation in space. By the word ‘so on°46 it is understood that besides these, there are many other kinds of motion also. It is extremely difficult to interpret each of these terms into modern scientific terminology. However, Muni Mahendra Kumar has attempted to clear them in the following way? 1] Simple vibrations (eyati) Here an atom simply vibrates. 2) Simple motion (veyati)- Here it migrates from one space-point
to another. 3] Complex motion (calai) It vibrates and migrates simultaneously. 4] Complex vibration (phandai)—It vibrates and spins simultaneously.
