Aesthetics and kAma SAstra
The 64 fine arts
After nearly five years, adding this story to the collection on kAma SAstra covering the list of associated skills, that are needed for best of the worldly enjoyments.
We said that the kAma is the natural tendency of reaching out to objects of enjoyments. It is not just getting to any possible object of enjoyment. It has to be aesthetically enjoyable without contradicting the dharma and artha of an individual.
Let’s see how these sixty-four fine arts that are mentioned as limbs of kAma SAstra help achieve best enjoyments without overdrawing resources from the environment or causing the individual to fall in the trap of sensual enjoyments.
The list goes like this:
1.sangIta — singing, 2.vAdhya — instrumental music, 3.nATya — Dance with its limbs of karaNas, angahAras, vibhAvas, bhavas, anubhAvas and rasas. 4.chitra-lEkhana — drawing and painting; 5.alankAra — makeup; 6.pushpAstaraNam — making garlands; 7.tunDula-kusuma-bali-vikAra — decoration in-front of doors. 8.daSa-nava-sanAngaraga — nail and tooth art; 9.maNibhUmikAkarma — gem art; 10. Sayanarachanam — decorating bed; 11. jalatarangiNi — water based musical instrument; 12. udaka-ghAtam — subtle art of spraying water; 13.chitra-yOga — fancy dress; 14.mAlya-gradhna-vikalpa — creating balls and bouquets with flowers; 15.sEkharakAdayOgas — ornamenting head with flowers; 16.nEpadhya yOgam — dress-styling; 17.karNapatrabhanga — ornaments to ears with different materials; 18.gandhayukti — making of fragrances; 19.bhUshaNa-yOjana — making ornaments; 20. indrajAlam — magic; 21. kauchumAram — beauty enhancements; 22.hasta-lAghavam — making things appear and disappear with skill in hands. 23.vicitra-bhakshyas — ability to cook multitude of dishes; 24.sUcI-vAsa-karma — tailoring; 25. sUta-krIDa — playing with strings; 26.vINA-Damaruka-vAdya — playing of veeNa and damaru. 27. parhElikam — trivia using multiple meaning words; 28.partimAla — learning in old proverbs; 29.durvAcaka-yOgas — poetry with difficult words; 30.pustaka-vachanam — reading of books; 31.nAtaka — playing plays. 32. samasyA-pUraNam — filling up missing parts from a poem; 33.pattakAvetravAnavikalpam — making chairs etc., from cane. 34.turku-karma — making dolls; 35.tatkshaNam — carpentry; 36.vAstuvidya — arrangement of things; 37.rUpya-ratna-pariksha — identifying value of gem stones; 38. dhAtu-vAdam — identifying valuable metals; 39.maNirAgAkara-jnana — ability to identify mines for gemstones; 40.mesha-kukkuTa-lAvaka-vidhi — arranging fight between goats and cocks. 41. vrukshAyuvEda — knowledge of growing trees and plants; 42.Suka-SarIkA-pralApam — teaching parrots and other birds to speak. 43.utsAdanam — giving massage; 44.akshara-mushTikA-kathanam — telling stories by hand gestures; 45. mlEcchita-kavityam — criticism of poetry. 46.bhAshA-vijnAnam — knowledge of multiple languages. 47. pushpaSakaTika — flower decoration to vehicles; 48. nimitta-jAnam — interpreting indications in the environment as good or bad signs. 49. yantra-mAtrukam — creating mechanical devices (machines). 50.dhAraNa-mAtruka — ability to remember quickly; 51. mAnasa-kriya — skills that can be shown by the power of mind (like avadhAnas etc., ) 52.sampAThyam — singing and reading in a group; 53.kAvya-kriya — poetic narration of stories; 54.abhidhAnakOSam — knowledge of vEdas. 55. chandO-jnAna — understanding of meters; 56.kriyA-kalpanam — managing projects; 57.bhavitaka-yOga — making an object appear as another; 58. vastra-gOpanam — hiding (disappearing) dresses. 59.dUtyam — gambling games; 60.Akarsha-krIda — games played with ropes; 61.bAla-krIdanakam — making playing tools for kids. 62.vaisakI-jnana — taming horses and elephants; 63.vaijeakI-vidya — knowledge of winning / success. 64.vyayAmakI-jnanam — physical exercises.
So, this list of 64 is a compilation of skills that are needed to collect, grade, arrange, improve the natural resources around the individual and combining them with the human excellence to make them aesthetically enjoyable. The knowledge of these “fine-arts” makes an individual eligible to study the kAma-SAstra. These “fine-arts” are the prerequisites for study of kAma-SAstra.
If anyone says kAma-SAstra is a manual of sex, see how narrow that definition is! kAma-SAstra is treatise of aesthetics. It is about aesthetic enjoyment of life of a householder. One who considers dharma-artha-kAma as the three worldly goals of life and takes to study of SAstra to correctly define and identify the righteous ways of enjoyment in this world — that person is a adhikari (eligible student) of this SAstra.
