Kanada
(Sanskrit: कणाद); was a sage and philosopher who founded
the philosophical school of Vaisheshika and authored the text
Vaisheshika Sutra. He probably lived around the 2nd century BCE,while
other sources claim he lived in the 6th Century BCE. It is believed that
he was born in Prabhas Kshetra (near Dwaraka) in Gujarat,India.
His
primary area of study was Rasavādam, considered to be a type of
alchemy. He is said to have believed that all living beings are composed
of five elements: water, fire, earth, air, ether. Vegetables have only
water, insects have water and fire, birds have water, fire, earth and
air, and Humans, the top of the creation, have ether—the sense of
discrimination (time, space, mind) are one. He theorized that
Gurutva(Hindi/Sanskrit for Gravity) was responsible for the falling of
objects on the Earth.
He
is recognized as the founder of atomic theory, and classified all
the objects of creation into nine elements (earth, water, light or fire,
wind, ether, time, space, mind and soul). He stated that every object
in creation is made of atoms that in turn connect with each other to
form molecules nearly 2,500 years before John Dalton. Further, Kanad
described the dimension and motion of atoms, and the chemical reaction
with one another.
These
Indian ideas about atom and atomic physics could have been
transmitted to the West during the contacts created between India and
West by the invasion of Alexander.
Many
believe that Kanada originated the concept of atom. An interesting
story states that this theory occurred to him while he was walking with
food in his hand. As he nibbled at the food in his hand, throwing away
the small particles, it occurred to him that he could not divide the
food into further parts and thus the idea of a matter which cannot be
divided further came into existence. He called that indivisible matter
as ' Anu ' .i.e. atom.
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