The father of atomic theory 2,600 years ago

Indian philosopher and philosopher Acharya Kanad is considered to be the first foundation for atomic theory more than two thousand years ago.

John Dalton (1766 - 1844), now known British physicist and chemist, laid the foundation for the theory of atoms. However, according to Ancient Origins, Acharya Kanad developed atomic theory before Dalton 2,500 years.

Acharya Kanad was born in 600 BC in Prabhas Kshetra (near Dwaraka), India. His real name is Kashyap.

Portrait of Indian sage Acharya Kanad.(Photo: Ayurvediccure).

The name Kanad (taken from Kan in Sanskrit, meaning "smallest particle" ) originates from his pilgrimage to Prayag. Pilgrims in the group scattered flowers and rice that they offered at the temple. He followed them one by one. When asked why he picked up rice seeds but also beggars did not take them, he said that a nut is of no value, but hundreds of seeds will suffice for one's meal, many will feed one family, and finally, all humanity is built up from families. Therefore a single grain of rice is as important as all value in the world. Acharya in his name means "teacher".

Kanad pursued his passion for the invisible world and conceptualized the ideas of the smallest particles. He recorded those ideas and taught them to others.

Kanad's atomic concept was achieved when he tried to break down food into small particles and realized that it was impossible to break because the particles were too small. He called the particles that could not be broken apart, parmanu or anu.

Acharya Kanad also argued that these small materials humans cannot sense through parts or observe with the naked eye, and somehow the parmanu combine. When two parmanu of the same compound, they will create a dwinuka (double molecule).

Dwinuka has the same nature as the two parmanu that gave birth to it. According to him, different substances are due to being formed by different combinations of parmanu. He also came up with the idea that atoms can combine in different ways to create chemical changes, thanks to the presence of other factors, such as heat. Evidence proves that this idea he gives is the ripening of the fruit or the creation of the layer of the pot on the clay pot.

Acharya Kanad's fantasy about atoms.(Photo: Vedic Knowledge Online).

Acharya Kanad opened the school to teach philosophy to convey ideas about atoms and the nature of the universe. He wrote a book entitled "Vaisheshik Darshan" about his research and is considered the "father of atomic theory".

In the West, the school of atoms began to be known around the 5th century BC, with ancient Greek authors Leucippus and Democritus. The issue of Indian culture is influenced by Greece or vice versa, or the two independent developers are still a matter of controversy.

Kanad is said to have written "every object is composed of atoms when they connect to each other to form a molecule". Although his theory is only sketchy abstract concepts in the scope of philosophy, because they are based on logic and not experiments or experiments, but according to experienced Indian researcher AL Basham "they are explanations of physical structures with great imagination, similar to modern physical discoveries."