64 Kalas (चतुःषष्टिः कलाः)

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Kala (Samskrit: कला) or Art is a vital component of the Ancient Indian Education System. They are disciplines, a student acquires knowledge of, during the course of training in the गुरुकुल ॥ Gurukula. They are called as चतुःषष्टिः कलाः ॥ Chatusshashti Kala since they are 64 in number.

परिचयः ॥ Introduction

भारतवर्षः ॥ Bharatavarsha (Ancient Indian Sub-continent) has always attached great value to knowledge. Talking of India's knowledge tradition, Kapil Kapoor says "India's

knowledge tradition is ancient and uninterrupted like the flow of the river Ganga." ज्ञानम् ॥ Jnana (Knowledge) has been at the centre of all speculations in India. There are three terms that appear in all discussions related to knowledge:

  • दर्शनम् ॥ Darshana
  • ज्ञानम् ॥ Jnana
  • विद्या ॥ Vidya

दर्शनम् ॥ Darshana literally means "a point of view" which leads to ज्ञानम् ॥ Jnana (knowledge). When this knowledge, gathered about a particular domain is organized and systematized for purposes of, चिन्तनम् ॥ Chintana (reflection) and अध्यापनम् ॥ Adhyapana (pedagogy), it attains the status of विद्या ॥ Vidya (discipline).

The tradition always talks of a combination 18 major विद्याः ॥ Vidyas (disciplines of knowledge) and 64 कलाः ॥ kalas (arts) while referring to the curriculum of Ancient Indian Education.

The 18 विद्याः ॥ Vidyas include:

  • चतुर्वेदाः ॥ The Four Vedas: ऋग्वेदः ॥ Rigveda, यजुर्वेदः ॥ Yajurveda, सामवेदः ॥ Samaveda and अथर्ववेदः ॥ Atharvaveda
  • चत्वारः उपवेदाः ॥ The Four subsidiary Vedas: आयुर्वेदः ॥ Ayurveda (medicine), धनुर्वेदः ॥ Dhanurveda (weaponry), गान्धर्ववेदः ॥ Gandharvaveda (music) and शिल्पशास्त्रम् ॥ Shilpashastra (architecture)
  • चत्वारि उपाङ्गानि ॥ The Four Upangas: पुराणम् ॥ Purana, न्यायः ॥ Nyaya, मीमांसा ॥ Mimamsa, धर्मशास्त्रम् ॥ Dharma Shastra
  • षड्वेदाङ्गानि ॥ The Six Vedangas (Auxiliary Sciences): शिक्षा ॥ Shiksha (phonetics), व्याकरणम् ॥ Vyakarana (grammar), छन्दस् ॥ Chandas (metre), ज्योतिष् ॥ Jyotish (astronomy), कल्पः ॥ Kalpa (ritual) and निरुक्तम् ॥ Nirukta (etymology)

However, as far as the कलाः ॥ kalas (arts) are concerned, there are competing enumerations of 64.

Which are the 64 Kalas ?

As mentioned above, there are slight variations regarding the enumeration of the 64 कलाः ॥ Kalas (arts). The mention of these arts occur in:

  • महाभारतम् ॥ Mahabharata by व्यासमहर्षिः ॥ Vyasa Maharshi
  • कामसूत्रम् ॥ Kamasutra by वात्स्यायनः ॥ Vatsyayana
  • नाट्यशास्त्रम् ॥ Natya Shastra by भरतमुनिः ॥ Bharatamuni
  • भगवतपुराणम् ॥ Bhagavata Purana by व्यासमहर्षिः ॥ Vyasa Maharshi
  • शुक्रनीतिः ॥ Shukraneeti by शुक्राचार्यः ॥ Shukracharya
  • शिवतत्त्वरत्नाकरः ॥ Shivatattvaratnakara by बसवराजेन्द्रः ॥ Basavarajendra

The list of the 64 Kalas in these texts have been juxtaposed in the following table:

Text महाभारतम् कामसूत्रम् नात्यशास्त्रम् भागवतपुराणम् शैवतन्त्राणि शुक्रनीतिः शिवतत्वरत्नाकरः
1 Singing Geet - Singing History
2 Playing on various musical instruments Vadya – Playing musical instruments Poetry
3 Dancing Nrtya - Dancing Calligraphy
4 Acting, gesticulation, mimicry Visheshakchhadya - Forhead decoration with paper, leaves etc. Metrical compositions
5 Drawing, Painting, Calligraphy Tandul-kusumabalivikar - use of colored rice grains and flower for worship. Dancing
6 Painting figures of various designs on the various parts of the body with musk paste and other fragrant substances. PushpastaraN - Floral carpets Evaluating precious stones
7 Preparing for use in worship various designs with grains of rice, flowers, etc Dashnavsanangrag - Decaration of nails and body Wrestling
8 Preparing a bed of flowers Manibhumika karma - Floor decoration with pearls or precious stones. Cooking
9 Colouring the teeth and other limbs and articles of wearing apparel Shayanrachana – Bed arrangement. Magic
10 Paving a floor with Precious stones Udakvadya - Jalataranga-Series of water pots for creating music. Shoe-making
11 Preparing a bed Udakaghat - Sprinkling with water cannons. Thieving
12 Using a pot full of water as a musical instrument and treading on water Chitrashycha yoga – Herbal preparations for weakening of enemy Iron smithery
13 Showing miracles of various kinds Malyagranthanvikalpa - Preparation of floral garlands and hair bands Painting
14 Preparing chaplets and wreathe of flowers Shekarkapidyojan – Ladies hair styling. Gardening
15 making ornaments of flowers for ears, braid Nepathyaprayog - Body make-up with cloth, ornaments and flowers. Carpentry
16 Modes of beautifying the body with clothes and ornaments of various kinds KarNapatrabhanga - Ear ornaments preparation. Hair-dressing
17 Painting ornamental figures on ears Gandhayukti - Making scented dhupa. Hunting
18 Making perfumes and cosmetics of various kinds BhushaNyojan - Ornamental make-up Trading
19 Making ornaments of various designs Endrajal – Magic / mesmerism. Agriculture
20 Jugglery Kauchumaryog - Preparation of sex tonics.

Sixty-four arts of ancient India Page 8

Animal husbandry
21 Appearing in various guises of one's choice Hastlaghav- Hand magic. making medicines,
22 Sleight of hand Vichitrashakayushbhakshyavikar kriya- Culinary preparations- sweets etc. leather work,
23 Culinary art Panakrasa Ragasav yojan- Making sharbat or syrups. driving,
24 Making drinks of various tastes and colours and spirituous liquors of various kinds Suchivan Karm –Needle work-Embroidery fishing,
25 Weaving and needle-work of various kinds Sutra krida –Hand puppets show speech-making
26 Working puppets by strings Veenadamruvadya-Playing musical instruments like veena or damru singing
27 Making musical instruments of various kinds Pahelika - Solving riddles. playing musical instruments
28 Solving riddles Pratimala- An interesting style of reading text or poem. preparing manuscripts
29 Capping verses Durvachakyog - Reciting text which is difficult to pronounce and understand. garland-making,
30 Skill in uttering tongue twisters Pustak Vachan –Book reading dyeing
31 The art of reading manuscripts easily and quickly Natakakhyalika darshan -Dramatics body-care
32 Dramaturgy and story writing Kavya Samasyapurti – Solving riddles. use of weapons
33 Completion of incomplete verses or part verses Pattikavetrayanvikalpa - Furniture making. making moulds
34 Making ligatures, canes, arrows Takshyakarm –Cutting wood to proper size and shape. performing pUjll (daily worship)
35 Spindle work TakshyaN - Carpentry. inlay work
36 Carpentry Vastuvidya - Civil engineering / architecture. arranging

flowers

37 Architecture Roopyaratna Pariksha - Valuations of gems and coins. preparing scents
38 Testing valuable metals and precious stones Dhatuwad- Mixing of metals like brass. bangle-making
39 Alchemy Maniragakar Dyana- Idientification of pearls and gems. stitching
40 Colouring precious stones Vrukshaurveda- knowledge of Botany. making ornaments
41 Knowledge of latent minerals Meshkukkutlavakyuddhavidhi – Knowledge of bird/ animal fighting for gambling. making sweets
42 Nursing and treating plants Shukasarika Pralapan - training of bird to speak. home-planning
43 Setting game rams, cocks, quails to fight as sport Utsadan-Samvahan-Keshmardankaushal- Body massage and hair care. training animals
44 teaching parrots and other birds to imitate human speech Akshyarmushti kathan-Secret word codes for communication or Mushti sanket - Secret communication through fingers (used by traders in auctions). training birds
45 Making an enemy quit his place by means of a charm Mlenchhit Vikalpa- Secret communication through gestures. coding
46 Cleaning and dressing the hair Deshbhasha vidyan –Knowledge of foreign languages. making instruments/machines
47 Reading letters removed from one's sight and divining the nature of substances held within one's palm Pushpashakatika- Decoration of vehicles with flowers. training memory
48 Knowledge of books written in the language of Barbarians Nimittadyana – Knowledge of auspicious date and time for a particular work. physical exercise
49 Fluently talking in the different Indian dialects Yantramatruka- Knowledge of instruments or machines yogic

practices

50 Reading good or bad omens DharaNmatruka- Remembering heard sentences.
51 Making diagrams by means of letters arranged in different orders as mystical formulae to be worshipped or worn as an amulet Sampathya-
52 Splitting hard substances such as diamonds into two or more pieces of different shapes Manasi Kavya Kriya – To complete incomplete poem or its part.
53 Reading the thoughts of others and bringing them out in a verse Abhidhankosha-
54 Lexicography Chandodyan
55 Knowledge of prosody Kriyakalpa –Poetry forms
56 Increasing the number of an object by various devices Chalitak Yog –Conceal body or speech.
57 Playing tricks Vastragopan – covering parts of body with cloth.
58 Showing off one's clothes as made of a superior texture than what they actually are Dhyutavishesh-
59 Playing at dice Aakarsh kriya - Playing with dices.
60 Attracting remote objects Balakridanak
61 Playing childrens' games Vainayiki dyna – Behavior with known and unknown persons.
62 The Practice of charms Vaijayiki Dynan –Knowledge of victory.
63 Fore knowledge of the party going to win in a debate Vyayam –Physical exercise.
64 Keeping goblins and vampires under one's control