The question as a side-subject just came up in the thread here, "The Science of Mind". As a quick reply, some esotericists developed since the late 1800s a means of viewing sub-atomic structures by a form of microscopic clairvoyance mentioned over 1,000 years ago by Patanjali in India. Now called "Occult Chemistry", this meeting ground between clairvoyance and physics is getting increased attention.
THE ULTIMATE PHYSICAL ATOM OR ANU
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Hi V,
I came across this post by chance.
There is another word "paramAnu" which means ultimate or beyond anu.
A quick search yielded the following
<a class="go2wpf-bbcode" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href=" http://www.p-g-a.org/vedictime.html "> http://www.p-g-a.org/vedictime.html
Some excerpts:
This information is taken from the Paramahamsa Samhita Bhagavat-puranam: III/XI, ...dates back to 3070 BC.
Verse 1: (The great sage) Maitreya said: "The smallest particle of material substance, which has not yet combined with any other similar particles, is called paramanu (a sub-atomic particle of matter). Paramanus always exist both in the dormant and manifest states of material existence. It is the combination of more than one paramanu (sub-atomic particle) which gives rise to the illusory concept of a (material) unit.
Verse 5: A combination of two paramanus constitutes an anu (atom); and three anus (atoms) makes one trasarenu. Trasarenus are visable [to the naked eye] when seen floating upward in the air while viewed through rays of sunlight which enter a room through a latticed window.
Too esoteric for me, but you might find it interesting...
Also see <a class="go2wpf-bbcode" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href=" http://www.sacred-texts.com/jai/6substns.txt "> http://www.sacred-texts.com/jai/6substns.txt
Some excerpt:
Paramanu or Anu (atom):
When the smallest portion of the matter is separated from its
skandha, it is called paramanu or anu. Parmanu matter can
not be further sub-divided, cut, or pierced.
Here paramanu and anu seems synonimous. I believe this is incorrect.
This site <a class="go2wpf-bbcode" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href=" http://www.herenow4u.de/Pages/eng/Sections/Microcosmology/2.0/Microcosmology2.1.11AtomI.htm "> http://www.herenow4u.de/Pages/eng/Sections/Microcosmology/2.0/Microcosmology2.1.11AtomI.htm
also has some interesting entries.
Regards.
Prashna
Thanks, Prasha,
I only now read your post. Strangely I got no email notification of it. I'm afraid (LOL) that I do persist in believing that Hindu science is perfectly acceptable to quote and discuss under "Science". It looks to me as though they knew about atoms and even quarks millennia ago.
As it happens, I just came across this article on electricity. However it takes a knowledge of Theosophy or maybe Vedanta to understandthe terminology and concepts, I feel:
http://www.wisdomworld.org/additional/ListOfCollatedArticles/TheElectricEntity.html