Chatushashti Kalas — the 64 classical arts (Vatsyayana)

The art of water-instruments such as the jala-taranga — tuned bowls of water struck with thin sticks to produce melodic tones. One of the most delicate of the classical instruments.

Skilled performance on specific instruments — the veena (lute) and the damaru (small two-headed drum). The veena was the instrument of Saraswati, the damaru of Shiva.

The art of reading aloud — reciting poetry, scriptural texts, and stories with correct pronunciation, intonation, and emotive expression. A skilled reader could hold an audience by voice alone.

The art of staging short plays and narrative storytelling — presenting natikas (one-act plays) and akhyayikas (story-cycles) before an audience. The kathakara tradition descends from this kala.

The art of completing verse-puzzles. Given the first or last quarter of a shloka, the participant must compose the remaining three quarters in correct metre and apt sense.

The art of extempore poetic composition — composing verses mentally on a given theme, deity, or feeling without pen or pause. A favourite display of nagaraka cultivation.

Knowledge of lexicography and prosody — of dictionaries (kosha) such as the Amarakosha, and of metres (chandas). Foundational to literary composition and criticism.

The art of varying literary form — recasting a prose tale as verse, or a verse as prose; converting one metre into another while preserving sense. A demanding exercise in literary craft.

The art of cane, bamboo, and reed work — weaving baskets, mats, screens, and small furniture from cane and bamboo. A workaday craft expected even of the cultivated householder.

The art of spinning — drawing thread from cotton, silk, or wool on the tarku (spindle) or charkha. The foundation of all textile arts and a daily household occupation.

The art of carpentry — shaping, joining, and finishing wood into doors, furniture, ploughs, chariots, and household items. The sthapati and takshaka were respected village artisans.

The art of building flower-chariots — constructing miniature carriages or palanquins decorated entirely in fresh flowers, used in spring festivals and bridal processions.

Knowledge of mines and mineral deposits — recognising where gold, silver, copper, iron, and gemstones were to be found, and the elementary geology of ore-bearing rocks.

The science of arboriculture and horticulture — planting, grafting, watering, and tending trees and gardens. Includes the medicinal botany set out in the Vrikshayurveda of Surapala.

Knowledge of regional languages — speaking and reading the major prakrits and provincial tongues of the subcontinent, useful for trade, travel, and diplomatic life.

The science of omens and portents (shakuna-shastra) — reading the cries of birds, the directions of animals, and atmospheric signs to forecast the success of journeys and undertakings.

The art of perfumery — preparing scented oils, agarbatti, attars, and aromatic pastes from sandalwood, saffron, musk, and floral extracts for personal use, worship, and the perfuming of garments.

The art of arranging jewellery — selecting and combining ornaments for the ears, neck, hair, wrists, waist, and ankles according to the occasion, season, and the wearer's natural complexion.

The art of cooking varied dishes — preparing the six tastes in harmonious combinations: vegetables (shaka), broths (yusha), and savoury delicacies (bhakshya) for daily meals and feasts.

The art of preparing beverages — fruit-juices (panaka), syrups (rasa), and the lightly fermented drinks (ragasava) appropriate to season and occasion. Includes the etiquette of serving guests.

The art of tongue-twisters — composing and reciting phrases that are deliberately difficult to pronounce. A social entertainment that doubled as elocutionary practice.

The art of training parrots, mynahs, and other speaking birds — teaching them to repeat words, names, and short verses for the amusement of the household and its guests.

The art of washing and dressing the hair — cleansing with herbal pastes (shikakai, reetha, amla), oiling, combing, and arranging the hair in classical styles such as the keshabandha.

The science of etiquette and discipline (vinaya) — the well-mannered conduct expected of a cultivated person in court, temple, and household. The grammar of polite social life.

The art of disguising oneself through dress — changing costume to alter one's apparent class, age, or even gender, for theatrical games and the playful festivals of spring.

The art of dice and gambling — skilled play of dice-games such as those described in the Mahabharata. Considered a worldly pastime that the nagaraka should know but exercise with restraint.

The art of board-games such as chess (chaturanga / shatranj), chaupar, and ashtapada — strategic games of capture and movement that trained the mind in foresight and counter-play.

The making of toys and games for children — small wooden figures, clay carts, spinning tops, and string-puppets. Looking after the play of children was itself counted among the kalas.

The art of secret or "foreign" writing — composing and deciphering coded scripts so that messages can be read only by the initiated. The classical Indian science of cryptography.

The science of mechanical devices and automata — constructing water-clocks, mechanical birds, hydraulic toys, and siege engines, as described in the Arthashastra's chapters on yantras.

The art of memory-training — mnemonic systems for retaining long texts, lists of names, and the procedural details of ritual. The traditional foundation of all gurukula learning.

The art of sympathetic reading — interpreting the character, fortune, and feelings of others from the face, gait, and bodily marks. Related to samudrika-shastra, the classical science of physiognomy.