Rishi Kanada was inquisitive. He was always keen to know about the workings of the elements of universe- air, water, land and fire. He kept observing and re-reading Vedas to know more, to get to the depth of knowledge.

One day he was just picking up rice grains, and that led him to discovering atoms, and further writing about meta-physics, long before John Dalton and Isaac Newton.  

Let’s know more about Rishi Kanda

Rishi Kanad’s lineage and childhood

Rishi Kanada was the son of Rishi Ulka, an eminent philosopher. From very early on, Rishi Kanad had a curious mind and used to try to find answers to most things in nature, like why does the earth have the texture that it possesses, why is the fire always hot, why do things fall down immediately when thrown up.

He also used to meditate deeply and focus on the self, i.e. The atman and its existence and the reason for being.

 His original name was Kashyapa. But, as he was always seen interested and keen on the minutest detail of things, “Kana”, influencing the universe, he began to be known as Kanad.

Rishi Kanada’s power of observation

Once when Rishi Kanad was on a pilgrimage with his father to Prayagraj, he observed that people were throwing (gracefully though) grains of rice and flowers towards a temple and littering the streets. (In those times, gracing the temple with flowers and rice was accepted as way of showing respect to the shrine).

He started gathering the grains to use the good and un-stepped ones, for their supper. While they walked on, he starting breaking the small grains of rice. To his astonishment, he could not break it beyond a point. It was at this moment, that he realized that if even a minute grain of rice could have an indivisible matter in it, the others elements existing in the universe too would possess it. He named the indivisible matter as “pramanu”, and thus started his quest to know about the characteristics of pramanu, or as we call it, atom.

Through further learning, observing and testing, he conceptualized the idea of molecules and meta physics.  

Rishi Kanada and his writings

Rishi Kanada went ahead and postulated all his observations and findings in a book, the “Vaisesika Sutra” that compiles all his findings. It describes, in depth and length, the theory of order of the universe as well as the theory of being.

Thus is the absolute glory of the wisdom of Rishi Kanda, who formed the ideation of metaphysics, long before any western scientist.

Bhavisha Doshi