a special notice at this stage.  Sa@mkhya distinguishes between a kara@na-akas’a and karyakas’a.  The kara@na-akas’a (non-atomic and all-pervasive) is the formless tamas—­the mass in prak@rti or bhutadi; it is indeed all-pervasive, and is not a mere negation, a mere unoccupiedness (avara@nabhava) or vacuum [Footnote ref 1].  When energy is first associated with this tamas element it gives rise to the sound-potential; the atomic akas’a is the result of the integration of the original mass-units from bhutadi with this sound-potential (s’abda tanmatra).  Such an akas’a-atom is called the karyakas’a; it is formed everywhere and held up in the original kara@na akas’a as the medium for the development of vayu atoms.  Being atomic it occupies limited space.

The aha@mkara and the five tanmatras are technically called avis’e@sa or indeterminate, for further determinations or differentiations of them for the formation of newer categories of existence are possible.  The eleven senses and the five atoms are called vis’e@sa, i.e. determinate, for they cannot further be so determined as to form a new category of existence.  It is thus that the course of evolution which started in the prak@rti reaches its furthest limit in the production of the senses on the one side and the atoms on the other.  Changes no doubt take place in bodies having atomic constitution, but these changes are changes of quality due to spatial changes in the position of the atoms or to the introduction of new atoms and their re-arrangement.  But these are not such that a newer category of existence could be formed by them which was substantially different from the combined atoms.

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[Footnote 1:  Dr B.N.  Seal in describing this akas’a says “Akas’a corresponds in some respects to the ether of the physicists and in others to what may be called proto-atom (protyle).”  Ray’s History of Hindu Chemistry, p. 88.]

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The changes that take place in the atomic constitution of things certainly deserve to be noticed.  But before we go on to this, it will be better to enquire about the principle of causation according to which the Sa@mkhya-Yoga evolution should be comprehended or interpreted.

Principle of Causation and Conservation of Energy [Footnote ref 1].

The question is raised, how can the prak@rti supply the deficiencies made in its evolutes by the formation of other evolutes from them?  When from mahat some tanmatras have evolved, or when from the tanmatras some atoms have evolved, how can the deficiency in mahat and the tanmatras be made good by the prak@rti?