The positive sciences of the ancient Hindus / by Brajendranath Seal.

  • Brajendra Nath Seal
Date:
1915
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The positive sciences of the ancient Hindus / by Brajendranath Seal. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    genesis and the structure of the Tanmatras and the Paramarzus was a fascinating one to these ancient thinkers, and a wide divergence of views prevailed. I will here notice several typical views—those of the Vishnu Purana, Parasara, Patanjali, and a certain school of Vedantists reported in the I. A famous passage in the Vishnu Purana explains the genesis and the structure of the Tanmatras and of the Bhutas (Paramanus) in the following manner :— The first Tanmatra originated from the rudiment- matter (Bhiitadi), the individuated but still indeter¬ minate potential-less Mass in Prakrzti, under the action of Energy (^ww. qfT^fRfvir—Sutra 62, Ch. I.) by a process of disintegration and emanation — Sutra 14, Pada IV. faoRwrur: TT^WHuruTTr ^ttAtu sttf ttuht, on Patanjali's Sutra—ursFuniHR: etc.) in the menstruum, or surrounding medium of the unindi¬ viduated cosmic mass (Mahat, J^Tfunr:). This first subtile matter, the first result of “ Mass- disintegration ” and Energy-transformation, is charged with the sound-potential, the potential of vibration or oscillation (qfw^). It is called the sound-potential (^^TrRTT^)* This is typical of the genesis (and structure) of the other Tanmatras (kinds of subtile matter). In each of the remaining cases, an atomic Mass charged with actual specific energies (hh^t^hj) disintegrates and emanates, and thus evolves a form of subtile matter (a kind of Tanmatra) under the action of Energy, and always in the same menstruum or surrounding medium
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