Kalā


Kalā means performing art in Sanskrit.

64 Arts

The mastery of over 64 kinds of service is called chatushashti Kalas. They are:
  1. Geet vidya: singing.
  2. Vadya vidya: playing on musical instruments.
  3. Nritya vidya: dancing.
  4. Natya vidya: theatricals.
  5. alekhya vidya: painting.
  6. viseshakacchedya vidya: painting the face and body with color
  7. tandula-kusuma-bali-vikara: preparing offerings from rice and flowers.
  8. pushpastarana: making a covering of flowers for a bed.
  9. dasana-vasananga-raga: applying preparations for cleansing the teeth, cloths and painting the body.
  10. mani-bhumika-karma: making the groundwork of jewels.
  11. sayya-racana: covering the bed.
  12. udaka vadya: playing on music in water.
  13. udaka-ghata: splashing with water.
  14. citra-yoga: practically applying an admixture of colors.
  15. malya-grathana-vikalpa: designing a preparation of wreaths.
  16. sekharapida-yojana: practically setting the coronet on the head.
  17. nepathya-yoga: practically dressing in the tiring room.
  18. karnapatra-bhanga: decorating the tragus of the ear.
  19. sugandha-yukti: practical application of aromatics.
  20. bhushana-yojana: applying or setting ornaments.
  21. aindra-jala: juggling.
  22. kaucumara: a kind of art.
  23. hasta-laghava: sleight of hand.
  24. citra-sakapupa-bhakshya-vikara-kriya: preparing varieties of delicious food.
  25. panaka-rasa-ragasava-yojana: practically preparing palatable drinks and tinging draughts with red color.
  26. suci-vaya-karma: needleworks and weaving.
  27. sutra-krida: playing with thread.
  28. vina-damuraka-vadya: playing on flute and small drum.
  29. prahelika: making and solving riddles.
  30. durvacaka-yoga: practicing language difficult to be answered by others.
  31. pustaka-vacana: reciting books.
  32. natikakhyayika-darsana: enacting short plays and anecdotes.
  33. kavya-samasya-purana: solving enigmatic verses.
  34. pattika-vetra-bana-vikalpa: designing preparation of shield, cane and arrows.
  35. tarku-karma: spinning by spindle.
  36. takshana: carpentry.
  37. vastu-vidya: engineering.
  38. raupya-ratna-pariksha: testing silver and jewels.
  39. dhatu-vada: metallurgy.
  40. mani-raga jnana: tinging jewels.
  41. akara jnana: mineralogy.
  42. vrikshayur-veda-yoga: practicing medicine or medical treatment, by herbs.
  43. mesha-kukkuta-lavaka-yuddha-vidhi: knowing the mode of fighting of lambs, cocks and birds.
  44. suka-sarika-prapalana : maintaining or knowing conversation between male and female cockatoos.
  45. utsadana: healing or cleaning a person with perfumes.
  46. kesa-marjana-kausala: combing hair.
  47. akshara-mushtika-kathana: talking with fingers.
  48. dharana-matrika: the use of amulets.
  49. desa-bhasha-jnana: knowing provincial dialects.
  50. nirmiti-jnana: knowing prediction by heavenly voice
  51. yantra-matrika: mechanics.
  52. mlecchita-kutarka-vikalpa: fabricating barbarous or foreign sophistry.
  53. samvacya: conversation.
  54. manasi kavya-kriya: composing verse mentally.
  55. kriya-vikalpa: designing a literary work or a medical remedy.
  56. chalitaka-yoga: practicing as a builder of shrines called after him.
  57. abhidhana-kosha-cchando-jnana: the use of lexicography and meters.
  58. vastra-gopana: concealment of cloths.
  59. dyuta-visesha: knowing specific gambling.
  60. akarsha-krida: playing with dice or magnet.
  61. balaka-kridanaka: using children's toys.
  62. vainayiki vidya: enforcing discipline.
  63. vaijayiki vidya: gaining victory.
  64. vaitaliki vidya: awakening master with music at dawn.