Process of Creation and Dissolution

Annaṃbhaṭṭa states in his Dīpikā about creation and dissolution that due to the creative will of the omnipotent God, motion is first produced in the atoms. Then, from the conjunction of two atoms is dyad (dvyanuka) is produced. Then, as a consequence of conjunction of three dyads, a triad (tryaṇuka) is formed. Similarly, with four triads, a quadrate (caturaṇuka) is produced, and so on and on until the great masses of gross earth, water, light and atmosphere are formed.^[1] When the dissolution of the products of substances thus created is desired by the omnipotent God, motion is produced dividing the monads. Owing to this, the contact between two atoms is destroyed whereupon the destruction of the dyad takes place. The dyad being destroyed there follows the disintegration of triads, quadrates and so on until the entire created masses of earth etc. are destroyed. The traditional view is that due to the dissolution of the non-intimate cause between the two atoms, a dyad is destroyed. Then, due to the destruction of the intimate cause, subsequent products like the triads etc. are disintegrated. But the modern Naiyāyikas hold the view that everywhere the disintegration of the products of substances takes place as a result of the dissolution of the union between two atoms owing to the destruction of the non-intimate cause.^[2] He also gives proof for creation and dissolution that the lines from the Vedic texts like: The Lord created the world as in previous cycles, etc. are the authority. The destruction of all product substances beginning with binary molecule up to the great mass of earth possessing the grossest dimension etc. is known as the intermediary dissolution. The destruction of all positive categories is the great dissolution or universal dissolution, mahāpralaya.^[3]

God creates the world. At first God produces motion in the atoms and joins two atoms then makes the dvyaṇukas or dyads. The dvyaṇuka is not eternal as it is made through parts. After that, God produces motion in the atoms and combines it through three atoms, it is called tryaṇukas or trasareṇus or triads. Trayaṇukas are the smallest perceptible. For example, the mote in a sun-beam is a triad. After these tryaṇukas, caturaṇukas are made through the combination of the triads in fours. Thus, through the same process, larger and larger things are produced.^[4]

On the other hand at the time of dissolution, God divides composite things into smaller parts and so on. The atoms begin to move away from one another. The two atoms which have formed the dvyaṇuka, move away and then conjunction of atoms is destroyed. The destruction of the dvyaṇukas causes the destruction of the tryaṇuka and the death of the tryaṇuka causes the destruction of the caturaṇuka and so on. Thus all further creations are destroyed.^[5] Destruction is exactly the reverse way of the creation.