Ancient Indian 14 Vidya (Techniques) 64 Kalas (Art forms)
#Longthread
Ancient Indian arts forms are described as Chausath Kalas, formed an important basis in the development of a cultured individual. Ancient education system was designed to fulfill four basic duties of a person, Dharma (religion); Arths (earning); Karma (family life) and Mokshya (attainment of eternal peace).
According to sage Shukracharya, the various arts are known not by its name but its expression. For instance- art of dancing contains physical expressions with motion; art of talking with fingers means creating communication; art of performing massage contains healing energies, etc. Lord Krishna was master of all the sixty-four arts.
In the Ancient India, the Gurus in Gurukulas taught their students about Vedas and Shastras, Shrutis and Smrutis, Upanishads and Puranas, 14 Vidya (techniques)
Consist of 4 Ved : Rugved Samved Yajurved Atharvaved and 4 Upved :
Arthashastra : An ancient Indian Hindu treatise on statecraft, economic policy and military strategy which identifies its author by the names Kautilya and Vishnugupta.
Dhanurved : The term derives from the words for bow (dhanushya) and knowledge (veda), literally the "science of archery".
Gandharvaveda : An ancient Indian treatise on the performing arts, encompassing theatre, dance and music.
Ayurveda : The word ayurveda consists of the words ayus, meaning "longevity", and veda, meaning "related to knowledge" or "science". Thus Ayurveda is the science of life.
6 Vedange : There are six Vedangas: Shiksha (phonetics), Kalpa (rituals), Vyakarana (grammar), Jyotishya (astronomy), Nirukta (etymology) and Chhandas (metrics). These are mentioned in the Upanishads.
Shiksha : Shiksha is one of the six Vedangas, treating the traditional Hindu science of phonetics and phonology of Sanskrit. Its aim is the teaching of the correct pronunciation of the Vedic hymns and mantras.
Kalpa : One of the six disciplines of Vedanga, treating ritual.
Vyakaran : The Sanskrit grammatical tradition of vyakarana is one of the six Vedanga disciplines. It has its roots in late Vedic India, and includes the famous work, Astadhyayi, of Panini.
Nirukta : Nirukta ("explanation, etymological interpretation") is one of the six Vedanga disciplines of Hinduism, treating etymology, particularly of obscure words, especially those occurring in the Vedas.
The discipline is traditionally attributed to Yaska, an ancient Sanskrit grammarian. In practical use, nirukta consists of brief rules (sutras) for deriving word meanings, supplemented with glossaries of difficult or rare Vedic words.
Chhanda : In Sanskrit, it refers to the study of Vedic meter in Classical Sanskrit poetry.
Jyotish : Jyotisa (Sanskrit jyotisa, from jyotis- "light, heavenly body": also anglicized Jyotish and Jyotisha) is the Hindu system of astrology (also known as Indian astrology, Hindu astrology, and of late, Vedic astrology). Traditionally, it has three branches -
1. Siddhanta : traditional Indian astronomy.
2a. Samhita
2b. Medini Jyotisha (mundane astrology) : Predicting important events based on analysis of astrological dynamics in a country's horoscope or general transit events such as war, earthquakes, political events, financial positions, electional astrology; house and construction related matters (Vastu Shastra), animals, portents, omens etc.
3. Hora : Predictive astrology based on analysis of natal horoscopes and the moment a query is made.
64 Kala (Activities in fine arts and crafts) consist of -
Geet : Art of singing.
Vadya : Art of playing on musical instruments.
Nrutya : Art of dancing.
Natya : Art of theatricals.
Aalekh : Art of painting
Vishesh Kacchedya : Art of painting the face and body with colored unguents and cosmetics.
Tandul kusumavali vikar : Art of preparing offerings from rice and flowers.