Entropy as per Nyāya–Vaiśeṣika (Indian Philosophy on Physics, Meta Physics and Logic)

Entropy shapes everything from cooling coffee to the universe’s fate, but its modern definition falters—assuming it always increases and requiring fixes for decreases. The ancient Indian philosophy of Nyāya–Vaiśeṣika, through its concept of samskara, redefines entropy as a triadic framework—tendency, state, and velocity—offering a complete model. This blog explores modern entropy’s limits, unveils Nyāya–Vaiśeṣika’s solution, and shows how it explains dynamic systems like black holes, the universe’s end, and the immortal jellyfish.

TL;DR

• Standard entropy mixes tendency (always increasing) and state (disorder), leading to conceptual flaws.
• Nyāya–Vaiśeṣika adds a third aspect: velocity, as per the sloka संस्कारः त्रिविधः — वेगः, भावना, स्थितिस्थापकः.
• This triad (tendency, state, velocity) fixes the issues seen in entropy models from thermodynamics to black holes.

Modern Entropy: Tendency and State

Modern entropy blends a tendency to increase disorder (Second Law) with a state measuring that disorder. Examples:

• Thermodynamics: Coffee cools down (tendency), molecular disorder increases (state).
• Cosmology: Universe moves to heat death (~10¹⁰³ k, dominated by black holes).
• Biology: Aging increases entropy; Turritopsis dohrnii reverses it (polyp from medusa).
• Markets: Prices stabilize (tendency), current price is the state.
• Information Theory: Tendency toward max uncertainty, state is current randomness in bits.

This conflation of direction and measurement ignores how fast and in what direction entropy changes—leading to flawed or patched models.

Flaws in Modern Entropy

Modern entropy assumes a one-way increase, needing “negative entropy” hacks when decreases occur. Examples:

• Black Hole Mergers (GW150914): Entropy decreases, violating the second law.
• Big Crunch: A collapse contradicts the entropy increase rule.
• Immortal Jellyfish: Rejuvenation (entropy decrease) defies the one-way assumption.
• Thermodynamics: Cooling rates vary, but entropy’s rate is ignored.
• Markets: Price fluctuations aren’t captured by state or tendency alone.

This limitation results in patchwork, ignoring real-world dynamics.

Nyāya–Vaiśeṣika's Triadic Model of Entropy

The sloka संस्कारः त्रिविधः — वेगः, भावना, स्थितिस्थापकः defines samskara (here interpreted as entropy) as:

• Velocity (वेगः): Rate and direction of change.
• State (भावना): Current condition or disorder.
• Tendency (स्थितिस्थापकः): The driving force or inclination.

This model separates what modern entropy combines, allowing for bidirectional changes.

Caption: A bird’s-eye view of entropy as samskara: The car’s velocity shows rate and direction, its destination is tendency, and the distance traveled is state. T. dohrnii reverses this path, which modern entropy cannot explain.

Velocity Solves Entropy’s Shortcomings

Nyāya–Vaiśeṣika's velocity component enables entropy to move forward or backward. Examples:

• Black Hole Condensation: Tendency to collapse, state is entropy, velocity is rapid decrease.
• Big Crunch: Same triad explains decreasing entropy without contradictions.
• Immortal Jellyfish: Moves from adult to polyp, i.e., reverse entropy, explained as negative velocity.
• Thermodynamics: Cooling is not constant—velocity tracks this changing rate.
• Markets: Bidirectional price changes are tracked by velocity, not just tendency or state.

At equilibrium (e.g., heat death), velocity = 0, tendency = 0, and the state becomes uniform—bhavana shunya.

In addition to the technical flaws that arise from viewing entropy solely as a tendency toward ever-increasing disorder, the triadic perspective—comprising tendency, state, and velocity—offers a more intuitive and complete understanding. This view even allows us to interpret gravity as a manifestation of entropy. By considering entropy in its triadic form, its role across physical phenomena becomes clearer and more conceptually meaningful.

Conclusion

Modern entropy’s assumption of one-way growth fails in dynamic systems. Nyāya–Vaiśeṣika's concept of samskara—a triad of tendency, state, and velocity—offers a timeless model rooted in Indian logic and atomism. It captures both entropy increase (e.g., heat death) and decrease (e.g., T. dohrnii) without contradiction.

The sloka बद्धो हि वासनाबद्धो मोक्षः स्याद्वासनाक्षयः from Yoga Vāsiṣṭha mirrors this: liberation (mokṣa) is achieved when tendency (vāsanā) dissolves and the state fades (bhavana shunya)—entropy at rest.

Appendix: Philosophical Depth of Bhavana Shunya

Bhavana is the system’s state. In the final stage—like heat death or mokṣa—velocity and tendency reach zero, and bhavana vanishes, becoming bhavana shunya.

Yet, T. dohrnii keeps entropy alive with dynamic velocity, refusing to fade. This aligns Nyāya–Vaiśeṣika’s model with both natural cycles and metaphysical ends.

In summary, entropy is not just disorder—it’s movement. And in ancient Indian physics, it moves both ways.