The Sixty-four arts and crafts (Kalā)

Verse 36 (extracted from Chapter 45 of Book 10 the Bhāgavata Purāṇa):

अहोरात्रैश्चतुःषष्ट्या संयत्तौ तावतीः कलाः ।
गुरुदक्षिणयाचार्यं छन्दयामासतुर्नृप ॥ ३६ ॥

ahorātraiścatuḥṣaṣṭyā saṃyattau tāvatīḥ kalāḥ |
gurudakṣiṇayācāryaṃ chandayāmāsaturnṛpa || 36 ||

“Within a period of sixty-four days and nights, those brothers, with controlled minds, mastered as many (i.e. sixty-four) arts and crafts (kalā), and persuaded their preceptor to accept whatever he liked as his fee of teaching”

Notes:

Bhāvāratha Dīpikā quotes a work Śaiva tantra enumerating the traditional sixty four kalās. Ardhamāgadhī Jaina canon enumerates 72 kalās. The resemblance between the two lists is significant from the point of social life in ancient India. Here the list of sixty-four kalās as quoted by Bhāvāratha Dīpikā and explained by VT is given.

1. Gīta (singing)

2. Vādya (instrumental music)

3. Nṛtya (dancing)

4. Nāṭya (histrionics)

5. Ālekhya (painting, and drawing)

6. Viśeṣakacchedya (painting various designs on the body)

7. Taṇḍula-kusuma-bali-vikāra (preparations of various designs with rice, flowers etc. in worship)

8. Puṣpāstaraṇa (preparing a bed of flowers)

9. Daśana-vasanā-aṅgarāga (painting the teeth, limbs of the body and articles of dress with various figures).

10. Maṇi-bhūmikā-karma (paving of the floor with precious stones.

11. Śayana-racanā (preparation of bed)

12. Udaka-vādya (Jala-taraṅga: a musical instrument with water pots), Udaka-ghāta (steadying water enabling one to walk over it)

13. Citra-yoga (demonstration of miracles).

14. Mālya-grathana-vikalpa (preparation of wreaths and chaplets of flowers).

15. Śekharāpīḍa-yojana (preparation of ornaments of flowers for the ears etc.)

16. Nepathya-yoga (method of beautifying the body with clothes etc.).

17 Karṇa-patra-bhaṅga (drawing ornamental figures on the ears).

18. Sugandha-yukti (making of cosmetics and perfumes)

19. Bhūṣaṇa-yojana (making ornaments of different kinds).

20. Aindra- jāla (Jugglery).

21. Kaucumāra-yoga (assuming various disguises)

22. Hasta- lāghava (sleight of hand)

23. Citra-śākāpūpa-bhakṣya-vikāra-kriyā (preparation of various sweet dishes).

24. Pānakarasarāgāsava-yojana (preparation of drinks of various tastes and colours).

25. Śūcīvāya-karma (needle work and embroidery).

26. Sūtra-krīḍā (Puppet-show by string-pulling),

27. Vīṇā- ḍamaruka-vādya (making musical instruments),

28. Prahelikā (solving conundrums—like cross-word puzzles);

29. Pratimālā (making replicas of things—)

30. durvācaka-yoga (uttering tongue-twisters),

31. Pustaka-vācana (fast reading of books (Mss) despite lacunae),

32. Nāṭakākhyāyikā- darśana (Dramaturgy and writing plays or dramas),

33. Kāṇya-samasyā- pūraṇa (completion of a verse from a part—generally containing an apparently illogical statement) to make a cogent statement out of it)

34. Paṭṭikā-vetra-bāṇa-vikalpa (Preparation of ligatures, canework, arrows),

35. tarka-karma (spindle work),

36. takṣaṇa (carpentry),

37. Vāstuvidyā (architecture),

38. rūpya-ratna-parīkṣā (evaluation and testing of valuable metals (silver, gold) precious stones),

39. dhātuvāda (Alchemy),

40. maṇi-rāga-jñāna (developing colours in precious stones),

41. ākara-jñāna (mining and mineralogy),

42. Vṛkṣāyurveda (botany),

43. meṣa-kukuṭa-lāvaka-yuddha-vidhi (arranging ram-fights, cock-fights),

44. Śuka-sārikā-pralapana (teaching parrots, etc. to imitate human speech),

45. utsādana (Driving out an enemy—by a mantra),

46. Keśamārjana-Kauśala (hair-dressing and cleaning),

47. akṣara-muṣṭikā-kathana (reading closed letters and divining what is hidden in fists),

48. mlecchita-kutarka-vikalpa (reading books in foreign or barbaric- scripts),

49. deśa-bhāṣājñāna (knowledge of languages of the country i.e. Indian languages),

50. Puṣṭa-śakaṭikā-nirmiti-jñāna (knowledge of making a cart blossom),

51. yantra-mātṛkā-dhāraṇa-mātṛkā (magical formulae—with figures inscribed with letters and amulets to wear),

52. sampāṭya (breaking hard substances like diamonds in different shapes),

53. mānasī-kāvya- krīyā (mind-reading in verse form),

44. abhidhāna-kośa (Lexicography),

55. chandojñana (knowledge of prosody),

56. Kriyāvikalpa (multiplying the number of objects by various devices),

57. chalitaka-yoga (playing tricks),

38. Vastra-gopana (showing one’s clothes as more superfine),

59. dyūta viśeṣa (expertise in gambling),

60. ākarṣa-kiīḍā (attracting remote objects = telekinesis).

61. Bālakrīḍanaka (playing children’s games),

62. Vaināyikī (jugglery and practice kriyā dharmas),

63. Vaijayikī (foreknowledge of victory in debate),

64. Vaitālīkriyā (control of goblins and evil spirits).