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Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c12.s17: Seventy Two Kalās

Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c12.s17

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Seventy Two Kalās

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²⁶ For twelve sippas such as hatthi, assa, ratha, dhanu, tharu, muddā, gaṇana, saṅkhāna, lekhā, kāveyya, lokāyata and khaṭṭavijja, see Paramatthadīpanī, the com on the Udāna, p 205

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Seventy two kalās are frequently mentioned in the Jain texts.²⁷ The list contains the sippas and also the list of traditional knowledge and sciences It does not mean that everybody acquired proficiency in all these branches. The acquirement of these sciences was an aim which could seldom be achieved. These kalās may be classified as under — 1 Reading and writing which comprised writing (leha) and arithmetic (gaṇiya). 2 Poetry which included verse-making (porekavva), the knowledge of Āryā verses (Ajjā), riddles (paheliyā), Māgadhī composition (Māgadhiyā), Gāthā composition, ballad-making (gūya), and śloka-making (siloya) 3 Sculpture (rūva). 4 Music which comprised dancing (naṭṭa), singing (gīya), instrumental music (vāiya), vocal music (saragaya), drum music (pukkharagaya), and timing in music 5 Clay-modelling which included the knowledge of clays (dagamaṭṭiya) 6 Gambling, sports and indoor games which comprised gambling (jūya), janavāya (a kind of gambling), playing at dice (pāsaya), chess playing (aṭṭhāvaya), making dolls and figures etc. moved by pulling strings (suttakheḍa),²⁸ a game of whirligigs (vattha) and nālikākheḍa (a kind of dice). 7 Personal hygiene, toilet and food. They constituted the rules of food (annavihi), drink (pāna), dress (vattha), toilet (vilevana), and bed (sayaṇa), knowledge of wearing ornaments of silver (hiraṇṇajutti), gold (suvaṇṇa), and other ornaments (ābharanavihi), preparation of powders (cuṇṇajutti)²⁹ and means of improving the complexion of damsels (tarunipadikamma), preparing ornamental designs from leaves (pattacchejja),³⁰ decorating the temple (kadacchejja).

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²⁷ See Nāyā ,i, p 21, Sama p 77a, Ovā 40; Rāya Sū , 211 , Jambu Tī 2, p 136 f, Bhagavān Mahāvīra nī Dharmakathāo, p 193 ff, Amulyachandra Sen, Social Life in Jain Literature, Calcutta Review, March 1933, p 364 f, D C Das Gupta, Jain System of Education, p 74 f Cal 1942; also see Kādambarī (p 126) Kale ed; Dasakumāra carita, p 66; Divyāvadāna, pp 58, 100, 391

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²⁸ Sūtrakrīḍā is mentioned in the Kuṭṭanīmata (vs. 124).

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²⁹ Gandhayukti is mentioned in the Mṛcchakaṭika (VIII, 13) and the Lalitavistara (see E. G Thomas's article in the Bull. School of Oriental Studies, Vol. VI, pp. 515-7).

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³⁰ Patracchejja is mentioned in the Kuṭṭanīmata (vs 236), also Kādambarī, op cit where it is translated as "the art of painting figures on walls or the ground" (Kale). However, according to Cowell, it is the breaking and cutting of leaves (see E G Thomas's above-mentioned article)

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8 Knowledge of various marks and signs such as distinguishing marks (lakkhana) of men,³¹ women,³² elephants,³³ kine,³⁴ cocks,³⁵ umbrellas,³⁶ slaves, swords,³⁷ gems³⁸ and Kākinī jewel

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³¹ Cf Brhatsamhitā, ch 67

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³² Cf ibid, ch 65

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³³ Cf ibid, ch 66

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³⁴ Cf ibid, ch 60

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³⁵ Cf ibid, ch 62

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³⁶ Cf ibid, ch 72

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³⁷ Cf ibid, ch 49, also Asilakkhana Jātaka (No 126), I, p 455

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³⁸ Cf ibid, ch 87 "Sariabhūtaruta" is mentioned in the Vinayavastu of the Mūlasarvāstivāda (p 32)

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9 The Science of omens, which comprised the knowledge of notes of birds.³⁹

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³⁹ Cf ibid, ch 79

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10 Astronomy, which included the movement (cāra) and countermovement (padicāra) of stars

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11 Alchemy, which comprised the preparation of gold (suvannapāga), silver (huvanna), reverting the killed metals to their natural state (sajīva), and killing of the metals such as gold etc (nijjīva)⁴⁰

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⁴⁰ The Caraka and the Susruta give various formulas for killing the metals. Killed metal sometimes means a metal deprived of its well-characterised physical properties, i e, colour, lustre, etc, P C Ray, History of Hindu Chemistry, Vol I, Calcutta, 1904, p 62 However, cf Dasakumāracarita (2, p 66) for sajīva and mṛjīva, Kale's edition, Bombay, 1925

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12 Architecture, which comprised the science of building (vatthuvijjā), measurement of camps (khandhāmāna), and cities (nagaramāna).

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13 Art of fighting, which comprised fighting (juddha), wrestling (mjuddha), heavy fighting (juddhātijuddha), menacing glances (ditthijuddha), fist-fighting (mutthi), arm-fighting (bāhu), clasped-fighting (layā), knowledge of arrows (īsattha), sword playing (charuppavāya), archery (dhanuvveya), formation of array (vūha), counterarray (padivūha), wheel-formation (cakkavūha), eagle-formation (garuda), and cart-formation (sagaḍa)⁴¹

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⁴¹ For a comparison between seventy two arts of the Jains and those of sixty four of the Kāmasūtra (1 111), see Bechardas, Mahāvīra nī Dharmakathāo, p. 193 f; also cf. sixty four arts of women described in the Jambuddīva commentary, 2, p. 139f; also Dr. Venkatasubbiaḥ, The Kalas, J. R. A S, 1914

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