भगवती सूत्र में परमाणु
By Om Prakash
Summary
The article examines the atomic science described in the Bhagavati Sutra, the fifth Agam of the Shwetambar Jain tradition, written in a question-answer format. It notes that the Bhagavati Sutra contains discussions on various knowledge and science topics, including atomic science. The text states that while modern scientists are investigating atoms, Lord Mahavir’s contemplation on atoms was more subtle. According to the article, what modern science calls an atom, Mahavir called a skandha, with the atom being much finer. The atom is described as indivisible, unbreakable, and not subject to fire, water, or wind. It is neither long, wide, nor deep, and is a geometric point. The atom is both eternal and non-eternal: eternal from a substance perspective and non-eternal from a modal perspective. The article details that an atom has one color, one smell, one taste, and two touches (hot and cold). It references various sections of the Bhagavati Sutra, such as the first shataka describing how two atoms do not stick but three and five do, and the second shataka listing eight main vargnas of matter atoms. The text also covers discussions on the combination and division of atoms, the movement of atoms in space, and the characteristics of atoms from two to infinite pradeshi skandhas. The article concludes that the Bhagavati Sutra contains a highly subtle analysis of the atom, which modern science is only now exploring, and emphasizes the need to present this knowledge to the public.
Summary reviewed by a volunteer editor.
Conclusion
The document establishes that the *Bhagavati Sutra* contains a sophisticated atomic theory, predating modern science by millennia. Its key implication is that ancient Indian thought, specifically within Jainism, had already conceptualized the atom as an indivisible, eternal, yet mutable unit—a foundational paradox that modern physics still grapples with. The text’s detailed classification of atomic combinations, properties, and behaviors challenges the linear narrative of scientific progress, suggesting that core insights into matter’s nature were not solely a product of the modern era. The significance lies in this unbroken intellectual lineage, which offers a non-Western philosophical framework for understanding physical reality. This forces a re-evaluation of what constitutes scientific discovery, positioning the *Bhagavati Sutra* not as a mere religious text, but as a vital, untapped resource for contemporary physics and the history of science.