Know the 64 Arts...

Know the 64 Arts...

As you all know, I love to learn at least a part of the 64 arts in my lifetime. I am happy to write my first blog-post on the 64 traditional arts.

One day I was thinking, why am I so fond of learning different things that are not so related to each other? Then I found, its because of my Dad, Mr. Venkattachalam, who made me learn different extracurricular activities from my childhood. He used to say, " Apart from studies, you should learn some other things that will definitely make your life beautiful when you are above 40 years old. For sure, you will never get bored of life!!"

He made me learn Singing, Instrumental music, Other languages (other than my mother-tongue),

typewriting, Painting and Crafting. To boost me up, he made me draw a picture when I was 5 years old and sent it to a weekly magazine without me knowing and it got published with my photograph in it. I am soooo.... excited to see my photo in a magazine with my artwork in that age.

The 64 traditional arts are as follows:

(1) gita — art of singing.

(2) vadya — art of playing on musical instruments.

(3) nritya — art of dancing.

(4) natya — art of theatricals.

(5) alekhya — art of painting.

(6) viseshakacchedya — art of painting the face and body with colored unguents and cosmetics.

(7) tandula-kusuma-bali-vikara — art of preparing offerings from rice and flowers.

(8) pushpastarana — art of making a covering of flowers for a bed.

(9) dasana-vasananga-raga — art of applying preparations for cleansing the teeth, cloths and painting the body.

(10) mani-bhumika-karma — art of making the jewel garlands.

(11) sayya-racana — art of covering the bed.

(12) udaka-vadya — art of playing on music in water.

(13) udaka-ghata — art of splashing water on ground.

(14) citra-yoga — art of practically applying an admixture of colors.

(15) malya-grathana-vikalpa — art of designing a preparation of wreaths or garlands.

(16) sekharapida-yojana — art of practically setting the coronet on the head.

(17) nepathya-yoga — art of practically dressing

(18) karnapatra-bhanga — art of decorating the tragus of the ear.

(19) sugandha-yukti — art of practical application of aromatics.

(20) bhushana-yojana — art of applying or setting ornaments.

(21) aindra-jala — art of jugglery.

(22) kaucumara — a kind of art.

(23) hasta-laghava — art of sleight of hand.

(24) citra-sakapupa-bhakshya-vikara-kriya — art of preparing varieties of foods - curries, soups, sweetmeats

(25) panaka-rasa-ragasava-yojana — art of preparing palatable drinks and fruit juices

(26) suci-vaya-karma — art of needleworks and weaving.

(27) sutra-krida — art of playing with thread.

(28) vina-damuraka-vadya — art of playing on lute and small x-shaped drum.

(29) prahelika — art of making and solving riddles. (29-a) pratimala — art of caping or reciting verse for verse as a trial for memory or skill.

(30) durvacaka-yoga — art of practicing language difficult to be answered by others.

(31) pustaka-vacana — art of reciting books.

(32) natikakhyayika-darsana — art of enacting short plays and anecdotes.

(33) kavya-samasya-purana — art of solving enigmatic verses.

(34) pattika-vetra-bana-vikalpa — art of designing preparation of shield, cane and arrows.

(35) tarku-karma — art of spinning by spindle.

(36) takshana — art of carpentry.

(37) vastu-vidya — art of engineering.

(38) raupya-ratna-pariksha — art of testing silver and jewels.

(39) dhatu-vada — art of metallurgy.

(40) mani-raga jnana — art of judging jewels.

(41) akara jnana — art of mineralogy.

(42) vrikshayur-veda-yoga — art of practicing medicine or medical treatment, by herbs.

(43) mesha-kukkuta-lavaka-yuddha-vidhi — art of knowing the mode of fighting of lambs, cocks and birds.

(44) suka-sarika-prapalana (pralapana)? — art of maintaining or knowing conversation between male and female cockatoos.

(45) utsadana — art of healing or cleaning a person with perfumes.

(46) kesa-marjana-kausala — art of combing hair.

(47) akshara-mushtika-kathana — art of talking with fingers.

(48) mlecchita-kutarka-vikalpa — art of fabricating barbarous or foreign sophistry.

(49) desa-bhasha-jnana — art of knowing provincial dialects.

(50) pushpa-sakatika-nirmiti-jnana — art of knowing prediction by heavenly voice or knowing preparation of toy carts by flowers.

(51) yantra-matrika — art of mechanics.

(52) dharana-matrika — art of the use of amulets.

(53) samvacya — art of conversation.

(54) manasi kavya-kriya — art of composing verse mentally.

(55) kriya-vikalpa — art of designing a literary work or a medical remedy.

(56) chalitaka-yoga — art of practicing as a builder of shrines

(57) abhidhana-kosha-cchando-jnana — art of the use of lexicography and meters.

(58) vastra-gopana — art of concealment of cloths.

(59) dyuta-visesha — art of knowing specific gambling.

(60) akarsha-krida — art of playing with dice or magnet.

(61) balaka-kridanaka — art of using children’s toys.

(62) vainayiki vidya — art of enforcing discipline.

(63) vaijayiki vidya — art of gaining victory.

(64) vaitaliki vidya — art of awakening master with music at dawn

I am still inprogress in learning those... Let me know, how many of the arts you know by now?

Is there someone who know all the 64?