with  nonbeing  (nonexistence), However, if we accept
　　   them, as Zeno apparently  did, then they do show that
　　   in a continuous universe, motion is impossible.
　　　　  Thus, on Eleatic  terms, no matter  what kind  of
　　   universe   we  suppose-continuous   or  additive   no
　　   intelligible  account  of motion  can  be  given, and
　　   therefore  motion  is impossible. Although  this  and
　　   other  of  their  conclusions   never  achieved  wide
　　   acceptance, their arguments  had enormous  influence,
　　   establishing  the rationalist tradition in philosophy
　　   which survives until today.
　　　　  Before  we proceed  to  a direct  examination  of
　　   Naagaarjuna's  arguments  against  motion, we  should
　　   like  to  say  a  few  words  about   the  historical
　　   background　　 behind　　 the　　 writing　　 of　　 the
　　   Muula-maadhyamika-kaarika   (MMK) ,  with  particular
　　   reference to Indian notions of space and time.  While
　　   far less is known  about ancient  Indian  mathematics
　　   and physics  than is known about their ancient  Greek
　　   counterparts, it is still possible  to discern  a few
　　   significant tendencies. And these, it turns out, bear
　　   remarkable resemblances to developments in Greece, It
　　   is known, for instance, that the 'Sulba geometers  of
　　   perhaps  the fifth  or sixth century  B.C, discovered
　　   the incommensurability  of the  diagonal  of a square
　　   with its sides.(8) Having  done so, they then devised
　　   a means  for  computing  an approximate  value  of ?
　　   Significantly, however, this was perceived as no more
　　   than an approximation, This suggests  that  they were
　　   aware  that  ?  is  irrational,  that  is, that  its
　　   precise value can never be given with a finite string
　　   of numerals;  and from here it is but a short step to
　　   the  notion  of  a  number  continuum.  That  is, the
　　   mathematician   who  knows   of  the   existence   of
　　   irrationals  should  soon come to see that there  are
　　   infinitely  many numbers  between any two consecutive
　　   integers, And with this realization  comes the notion
　　   of infinite  divisibility, While  we cannot  say  for
　　   certain  that the 'Sulba geometers  were consc iously
　　   aware  of  infinite  divisibility,  developments   in
　　   Indian  physics  require  some source for the notion,
　　   and the sophistication  of the 'Sulba school makes it
　　   seem the likeliest place to look, The developments to
　　   which  we refer  are  the  emergence  of the  curious