Have grown up hearing stories about how Krishna was adept at 64 arts.. wanted to know what they were and how it can apply to today’s scenario!
As a child, I always wanted to compile this list and learn as many as possible. Krishna seems to have learned these during his days at school (Gurukul). Am so happy to have got the opportunity to put this together and see how many I have had the privilege to learn… so, here comes the list..!
- Art of Singing
- Art of Dancing
- Art of playing musical instruments
- Art of painting
- Theater art (acting)
- Art of painting face with one color and body with another (face painting, tattoos etc)
- Art of making preparations for cleaning teeth (very interesting 🙂 even advertisements these days speak about the science of it.. not the art)
- Art of jewelry making
- Art of playing music with water
- Art of flower decorations
- Art of setting the bed (yes… this is truly an art.. :))
- Art of preparing naivedya (offerings to God) with rice
- Art of Garland and wreath making
- Art of decorating the ear with jewelry
- Art of Aromatics
- Art of cooking delicious food (this is more of a life skill these days :))
- Art of preparing drinks
- Art of making and solving riddles
- Art of speaking multiple languages
- Art of woodwork
- Art of using, mixing and testing minerals
- Art of using, mixing (alloys) and testing metals
- Art of weaving clothes
- Art of reciting books
- Practicing medicine or medical treatments using herbs
- Art of healing or cleansing a person with perfumes
- Art of styling hair
- Art of communicating using sign language
- Art and use of amulets (use includes science as well..!)
- Art of prediction
- Art of conversation
- Art of composing a verse
- Art of designing a literary work or medical remedy
- Art of understanding dialects (not just languages, but dialects as well..!)
- Art of mechanics (not the science.. that is interesting..!)
- Art of Building shrines
- Art of Clothing or dressing up
- Art of Gambling
- Art of Enforcing discipline
- Art of gaining victory
- Art of lexicography
- Art of understanding bird language
- Art of animal fights (why… maybe because horses and elephants were used during war?)
- Art of making weaponry
- Art of needlework
- Art of tricking your opponent
- Art of setting the crown
- Art of wine making
- Art of planting, grafting and preservation of plants
- Art of preparation of salts
- Art of fighting with hands in a duel (without using weaponry)
- Art of war (formulating and implementing war strategies by listening to musical instruments from far)
- Art of praying to Gods using various seating positions and mudras
- Art of putting down a fire, actions caused by water and air
- Art of swimming
- Art of making glass objects
- Art of extracting oil from seeds
- Art of maintaining, entertaining and nourishing children
- Art of identifying and working with precious gems
- Art of relieving one from pains caused by wounds
- Art of mimicry
- Art of Debating and winning at it
- Art of climbing trees
- Art of punishing offenders
Surprisingly, earning money or financial well being does not seem to be an art 🙂 When I look at this list, many of these are life skills and vocations (businesses, domains, industries etc if I use the current terminology). If anyone is out of job, or in distress, learning one of these skills and using it or teaching it can help them earn a living! However, the way the teachers taught these in olden days – financial well being was taken care of naturally by providing students opportunities to learn these skills! If you are good at even ONE of these, you can figure out a way to survive. If you have mastered all of these.. well, you are ready to distribute your knowledge – as you would have gained not just the knowledge – but wisdom as well in the process 🙂
Now, if you have mastered one of these and have computer skills as well.. imagine the possibilities of innovation 🙂
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