Bhagwan Mahaweer: The Matchless Particle Physicist

 Bhagwan Mahaweer: The Matchless Particle Physicist

About 2550 years ago, Mahaweer cognized and perceived paramanu as the smallest particle, which can't be dissected any further. Paramanu = param + anu. 'Param' means the ultimate and 'anu' means particle. Thus, paramanu means the primary subtle speck, the building block of the pudgal, i.e., matter. The definition still remains valid. Precisely, this was the way John Dalton also defined atom some 200 years ago. Atom = a + tom; 'a' means not and 'tom' means cut. Thus, atom means a minute particle which can't be cut into still smaller pieces. However, this definition is no more valid.

Joseph Thomson discovered electron, a negatively charged particle of atom in 1897. This shattered the definition of atom, but the word has stuck in the text books, theories etc. Around 1930, Quantum Theory developed by Einstein with Heisenberg proposed that electrons, protons and neutrons are statistical clouds rather than lumps. Mahaweer had announced that paramanu is an energy-unit, i.e., quantum in modern physics. Acharya Umaswati stated: 'bhedat utpadyante.' (भेदात् उत्पद्यते।) It means paramanu is formed by separation from the skandha, i.e., aggregate of matter. It means that it rarely is found separately. And momentarily it is in the form of energy field which can be described as cloud.

In 1960s Murray Gell-Mann and George Zwig declared their Quark Theory stating that protons and neutrons are made of smaller particles, which they named as quarks. These particles are now considered to be the building blocks. Jainism points out that these are aggregates of paramanus and therefore cannot be claimed to be the building blocks of the matter.

The History of Atomic Theory is much older than the times of John Dalton. Galileo Galilee (1564-1642) had defined science and excluded the possibility of study of noumenon from the pale of science. Robert Boyle and Isaac Newton utilized the concept of atom and developed science and expanded the horizons of the scientific studies. Thus, science focused its efforts on matter and has since attained great heights in technology and science. However, Einstein realized, "We can only see the relative truth; the absolute truth can be seen only by the universal observer." That Universal Observer of Physics is the Omniscient of Jainism.

The Greek philosopher Leucippus had much earlier (492 BC) toyed with the Theory of Atomism. Democritus (460-370 BC) is remembered for formulation of the Nuclear Theory. However, Aristotle (385-323 BC) opposed this idea. Kanad, founder of Indian Waisheshik Philosophy, developed the foundations of Atomistic Approach to Matter and Philosophy. He is the earliest known systematic realist. That is how he acquired his name. Kanad = kan + ad; 'kan' means particle and 'ad' means eat; hence kanad means particle eater. Prior to him however, Mahaweer had announced complete theory of pudgal, defining paramanu as much tinier particle than ever considered by others after him until today.

Paramanu can attain very, very high, indeed inconceivable speeds, many many more times higher than the speed of light. Albert Einstein had specified that speeds greater than speed of light are not possible for other things. This being relativistic approach it must have limit. The absolute is not affected by the relative. Surprisingly, in New Jersey, Princeton Laboratory it was found that when laser beam is passed through cesium vapor, it appeared to exit before entering the experimental chamber, proving that speeds greater than light are possible. Russian Scientist Karamov had proved that in certain special medium light itself travels at speeds faster than its limit in vacuum. Recently in 2011, experiment in CERN laboratory proved that speeds greater than speed of light are possible. Prof. Tessitori's statement that 'As science conducts more and more experiments, more Jain principles would be proved,' is being vindicated.

Paramanu of Jainism is real, eternal and perpetual. The number of paramanus in the universe will always be constant; it means no existent paramanu can be destroyed nor new paramanu be created. This is also the statement of the modern science calling it 'the Law of Conservation of Matter'. Paramanu is indivisible, impenetrable, indestructible and therefore eternal and perpetual. It has 5 colors, 2 smells, 5 tastes and two-touches. It is massless and therefore weightless. It is the primary particle requiring the smallest space called pradesh in Jainism.

Can paramanu be seen? This is a highly puzzling question. Since paramanu is matter and matter has form and size, as such it should be visible. However, paramanu is extremely fine and subtle. It has only two-touches viz cold/hot and positive/negative charge. These are energy states. Modern science with all its highly superior and sensitive latest apparatuses has not been able to see even the electron, which traces its path during the experiments but is never visible to the scientists. Its presence is inferred only by the path that it leaves behind as a photograph. Likewise, paramanu will not only be invisible to, but also intractable by physical means. It is the real substance and therefore like other real substances will be seen only by the Omniscient, the Universal Observer.