Ancient Indians, by proof of evidence and documents, have been proven to be evolved in all walks of life. In medicine, astronomy, mathematics, or even chemistry, sages already had solutions to most of the “scientific discoveries” made later.
How they found answers to problems that confront scientists even today, we do not know. Only a few interesting people with exciting stories of what they saw, including the concept of atom and left behind. Yes! Atom Was Given To the World By This Amazing Indian.
Atom
Kanada, an Indian sage and philosopher, who lived during the 6th century BC, had contributed much to the field of Chemistry.
He had founded Vaisheshika School, a school of philosophy that often contributed to developing scientific ideas and the existence of life. This elementary question that Kanada researched upon and found an answer to the substance of – matter.
The Truth About Matter
What is a matter made up of? Ancient Indians believed that all beings were composed of five elements in varying proportions- fire, earth, water, sky, and wind. This belief is the foundational stone of the principle in Hinduism – “what comes from the earth goes back to it.” Kanada, however, wanted to delve deep into the matter.
After years of pondering, he explained that matter could be divided and subdivided to reach a point where further division becomes impossible. That idea is reasonably strong, given the basic logic behind it.
According to India’s earliest languages, “anu” means small particle, so “paramanu” means something acutely minute. This paramanu is what modern scientists call an atom. The great sage then called this indivisible element matter- Paramanu.
Kanada did not leave his observations there. He said that these particles have an inherent urge to combine. When two atoms collide to form what is a binary molecule, he named it-dwyanuka. This was the basis of the sage’s research, from where he went on to discover different chemical reactions.
It is fascinating to note that, in the era where no form of microscopes or magnifying glasses existed, Sage Kanada had an accurate idea of what particles and chemical compounds were and how they functioned. Based on his basic groundwork, many future generations based their findings upon him. Remarkable indeed how progressive our past generations were!
