VEDIC CONCEPT OF ENTROPY (अवसर्पिणी कालः).
– Basudeba Mishra
Entropy is said to be a thermodynamic quantity representing the unavailability of a system’s thermal energy for conversion into mechanical work (obtained from ordered molecular motion), which is interpreted as the degree of molecular disorder or randomness in the system that always increases with time. Entropy is related to time evolution of any enclosed system. It is part of the full description. Here we will discuss only thermodynamic entropy and not Shannon entropy.
All changes are molecular motion (संसरण), which can only be induced by heat energy (अग्निम्). According to the Kanada’s formulation, वेगः संयोगविशेषविरोधी, every action invites equal opposition. This is not exactly the Newton’s third law of motion, which says every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Newton’s law is true only with spherical objects having mass distributed equally around one center of mass. If you use a ball, Newton’s law is true. But if you make a rubber cylinder or a triangle or hexagon of rubber with equal mass and test Newton’s law, it will fail. The reason is, force is applied to the body as a whole and it reacts as a whole. But the reaction is not equally distributed like in a ball. Hence, though the total reaction will be same, the effect will appear differently depending upon the distribution of the mass in the cylinder or a triangle or hexagon.
Energy is dark (कृष्ण). An object is said to be dark when it absorbs photons, causing it to appear dim compared to other objects. But photon itself is the tip of a wave carrying energy. We do not see it. We see when objects reflect part of it and that reflection reaches our eyes. The reflected radiation is called light. Radiation itself is dark – it cannot be directly observed (शक्तिः कार्यानुमेया हि यद्गतैवोपलभ्यते । शक्तिका स्वरूपदर्शन नहीं होता । केवल उसका कार्य देखकर शक्तिका अनुमान किया जाता है). But its existence is inferred from its effects on its base or conductor (तद्गतैवाभ्युपेतव्या स्वाश्रयान्याश्रयापि च – शक्तिके आश्रयमें उसकी सत्ता माननी पडेगी).
Particles are those that can be created and counted (वस्तु वह है, जिसका निर्माण और सङ्ख्यान किया जा सकता है). Creation means confinement in a state of equilibrium between two oppositely charged energy following the law of causality (निर्माण – निर् + मा॒ माने॑ – का अर्थ दो विपरीत लिङ्ग के वस्तुके मध्यमें शक्तिद्वारा कार्य-कारण रूप से बन्धन है – चन्द्रार्कमध्यमा शक्तिर्यत्रस्था तत्र बन्धनम् । इसमें दोनों लिङ्ग एक अन्य से आहत हो कर – दोनों का स्वरूप नाश हो कर – अपूर्व योगज सृष्टि करते है). Counting is the differentiation between objects having similar properties (संख्यान – सम्यक् + ख्या॒ प्र॒कथ॑ने – का अर्थ जिस एकरूप वस्तुसामान्य का अलग अलग भेद कर वर्णन किया जा सकता है – भेदहेतुत्वमाश्रित्य सङ्ख्येति व्यपदिश्यते). Similarity is a characteristic of all objects of one class (मूल वस्तुओं का एकरूपता भी एक स्वभाव है). Protons or neutrons can be counted (both linear accumulation and reduction) together only as fermions (एकजातीय दो अणुओं में से एक अणु अन्य अणु जैसा ही होगा – स धर्मो व्यतिरिक्तोवा तेषामात्मैव वा तथा). If we treat them as different, we can’t count them together (वह भिन्न रूपवाला नहीं हो सकता). However, quantities can vary in a combination, which leads to evolution or development (परन्तु मात्राभेद से इनका विवर्त अथवा विकास हो सकता है). This leads to non-linear multiplication and division.
Evolution (विवर्त) is the non-fundamental transformation in form (without changing the essential characteristics or nature of something – अतात्त्विक अन्यथाभाव). Linear multiplication or division with numbers is an example. When particle with a center of mass (केन्द्रशक्ति) interacts with different energies (अनेकप्रकार के विचित्रसंयोग) leading to different visual manifestation (व्यक्तिकरण) it is called transformation (विकास). Non-linear multiplication or division with numbers is an example.
Since energy can’t be created or destroyed, it gets transformed – through evolution or transformation. When we want to define the position of an object, i.e., the three spatial coordinates, we require a frame of reference. We call that space (आकाशमेव केषाञ्चित् देशभेदप्रकल्पनात् । आधारशक्तिः प्रथमा सर्वसंयोगिनां मता । संयोगि धर्मभेदेन देशे च परिकल्पिते । तेषु देशेषु सामान्यमाकाशस्यापि विद्यते). Similarly, in relation to other objects, we find any one object appears in different sequences and intervals, in precedence-antecedence, simultaneity and its opposite, slow and fast, etc. For precisely defining these in an ordered manner, we require a frame of reference. That frame of reference is time (कालात् क्रिया विभज्यन्ते आकाशात् सर्वमूर्तयः). Just like the changing position could be plotted and precisely described intelligibly by arranging them properly, the changes in time can be explained properly by time evolution.
Leibnitz once said, “Space is the order of co-existence” and “Time is the order of successions”. This is close to the Vedic description that both space and time arise from our concept of sequence (परत्वापरत्व) and interval (अवकाश). The sequential interval between objects is space and that between events are time. We differentiate between events by their succession and interval (कालात् क्रिया विभज्यन्ते), just like we differentiate between objects (आकाशात् सर्वमूर्त्तयः) by their extent (विस्तार). An interval is which is empty – devoid of any external objects or events (वस्तुशून्य). External objects have length, breadth and height. The intervals do not have dimensions of their own. We respond and react to events mentally (like, dislike, ignore – राग-द्वेष-त्याज्य). Time is the interval to which we do not react mentally. Imagine someone is put in a totally dark place for some time. He cannot have any mental action to respond to the happenings, because nothing is happening. He may feel depressed that he has been confined. But that is related to the event prior to his confinement. When he is taken out and asked “how long had you been there”, he will reply only whatever he has in mind – the events just before he was put there and just after he came out. So we can describe the intervals by their boundary conditions through alternative symbolism (विकल्पन). Objects that exist only apparently, but not really, are called ABHWA – अभ्व (अभूत्वा भाति). Yet, for the common perception, it appears as objective existence (लौकिकानां व्युत्थितदर्शनानां वस्तुस्वरूप इव अवभासते). Thus, time and space are mental constructs (बुद्धिनिर्माण) only, which are expressed by their realization through a language (शव्दज्ञानानुपाती).
सैव भाव विकारेषु षडवस्थाः प्रपद्यते ।
क्रमेण शक्तिभिः स्वाभिरेवं प्रत्यवभासते ॥
आत्मभूतः क्रमोप्यस्था यत्रेदं कालदर्शनम् ।
पौर्वापर्यादिरूपेण प्रविभक्तमिव स्थितम् ॥
In the number sequence, six (षट् – षटँ अव॒यवे॑) has an important role (though each number is important). Literally it means procreation limb by limb. Hence, there are six seasons (ऋतु) in India. Incidentally, the fertility period of women are called RHTU – ऋतु – the same as season. There are six quarks – two each for stable physical objects (पृथ्वी), two for intermediate state (अन्तरिक्ष) and two for high energy states (द्वौः – can only be produced in high energy collisions such as those involving cosmic rays and in particle accelerators). Similarly, there are six types of interaction:
1) Strong nuclear (अन्तर्याम), which is nucleic (आत्मस्पृद्) and provides the physical and chemical properties (स्वरूपप्राप्ति) like the red color of a rose.
2) Beta decay (बहिर्याम), which starts in the electron shells (not in the main nucleus) and ends up embracing another nucleus (वहिरन्तस्तलस्पर्शी). It is neither inherent nor permanent to any atom (औपाधिक – like the heat in hot water or the senses in our body) and can be compared to the clothes we wear.
3) Electromagnetic interaction (उपयाम), which is an acquired state from the environment (उपाश्रित) involving the exterior only (पृष्ठस्पृश्), like a red flower kept near a crystal makes the crystal look red. Other examples are like a boat floating on the river, while it stays in one place on the beach. It flows from high concentration to low concentration. Without such flow, it is not experienced.
4) Gravitational interaction (उर्द्धिर्निधेः प्रतिस्पर्द्धि योग), which is diffusing and balancing the opposite force to remain stable (प्रतिदिग्धर्म). Thus, two objects remain in stable orbits against a common barycenter. The magnetosphere is another example. Even rainbow, which is caused due to diffusion, is another example.
5) Physical or chemical interaction (आप्तोयाम), which changes the atom to appear something else (योगधर्म). One example is the redness of the rising and setting sun.
6) Alpha decay (यातयाम), which starts in the nucleus, but goes away degenerating the original constituent.
Correspondingly, time evolution takes place in six steps.
1). Being as cause (जायते).
2) Becoming effect (अस्ति).
3) Growth due to accumulation of similars (बर्द्धते).
4) Transformation due to accumulation of harmonious others (विपरिणमते).
5) Transmutation due to the opposite effect (अपक्षियते).
6) Dissolution and merger with the cause to reappear in a new combination (विनश्यति – नाशः कारणे लयः – ण॒शँ अद॑र्शने).
बहिर्हेत्वनपेक्षी तु स्वभावोऽथ प्रकीर्त्तित ।
निसर्गश्च स्वभावश्च इत्येष भवति द्विधा ॥
निसर्गः सुदृढाभ्यासजन्यः संस्कारः उच्यते ।
अजन्यस्तु स्वतःसिद्धः स्वरूपो भावः उच्यते ॥
Evolution (विवर्त) can be of two types. When it evolves by itself without any other force or object, it is called Avatar (अवतार – incarnation). When it involves other forces or objects, it is said transformational development (विकास). Time evolution can be divided into two types: evolutionary (उत्सर्पिणी) and devolutionary (अवसर्पिणी). The first three are evolutionary (उत्सर्पिणी). The last three are devolutionary (अवसर्पिणी). In the former, it is Avatar, which is accumulation. In the latter, it is development, which is degeneration. Entropy takes into account only the last three – devolutionary (अवसर्पिणी).
Negentropy represents the interactions and particle correlations beyond the ideality of the environment, excluding any change or violation of the three laws of thermodynamics. Negative entropy, also known as negentropy refers to a system becoming less disordered or more ordered. After the devolutionary (अवसर्पिणी) stage, the evolutionary (उत्सर्पिणी) stage begins. The transition between the two stages reverses the thermodynamical process. That may be called negentropy.
