Unfortunately, for most of Asia & Africa, Europe awoke from its Dark Ages, yawned, stretched its legs and went on an imperialistic & colonialist spree. But that story is for another day.

‍

‍

One of the products of post-Renaissance Europe is a gentleman named Sir Isaac Newton - a name every kid & adult with some education knows today. His claim to fame is a life dedicated to science, mathematics & astronomy, the essence of which is recorded for posterity in a Latin book called "Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica" - in English, "The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy" - "Principia" in short!

‍

‍

Principia & Newton are credited for having opened up a new field of Physics called 'Classical Physics' - a branch of physics dealing with the motion of macroscopic objects, right from a cricket ball to the planets in outer space.

‍

‍

Amongst other things, the Principia proposes the "Universal Law of Gravitation". And though the falling apple incident is believed NOT to have really happened, Newton is still considered to have discovered Gravity and is thus called "The father of Gravity."

‍

‍

I grew up believing that to be true too. Until I read about Maharshi Kanada's Vaisesika Darshana! Maharshi Kanada lived around 600 BCE in Gujarat, and composed what is today studied as the Vaisesika Darshana, one of the six philosophical systems of Ancient India (Shad-Darshanas).

‍

‍

Chapter 5 of Vaisesika Darshana explains the concept of Gravity through an interesting set of Q&As.

‍

Q1. Why does an object fall on the ground when you let it go?

A1. संयोगाभावे गुरुत्वात् पतनम्

‍

saṃyogābhāve gurutvāt patanam

In the absence of conjunction, falling results from Gravity!

‍

‍

Q2. Why does an object fall after some time when you throw it in the air?

A2. संस्काराभावे गुरुत्वात् पतनम्

‍

saṃskārābhāve gurutvāt patanam

In the absence of propulsion, falling results from Gravity!

‍

‍

Q3. Why do raindrops fall to the earth?

A3. अपां संयोगाभावे गुरुत्वात् पतनम्

‍

apāṃ saṃyogābhāve gurutvāt patanam

In the absence of conjunction, raindrops fall due to Gravity.

‍

‍

The word conjunction implies 'a holding force'.

Evidently, the Samskrut word for Gravity is "Gurutva"! In 600 BCE! About 2200 years before Newton!

‍

‍

The same concept is further elaborated by the 12th century genius astronomer Bhaskaracharya as "Gurutvakarshana Shakti!" - the gravitational force that binds planets to the Sun!

‍

‍

So, with all due respect, if Newton is the Father of Gravity, Maharshi Kanada is its Grandfather, isn't it?

‍