64 Kalas - Work As Worship Concept

By Author: Chaitanya Kumari
Total Articles: 238
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The 64 kalas were part of the ancient educational system of Bharat. Education was also provided in the various crafts and art forms encompassed by the 64 kalas. The respect that these kalas commanded was equal to that given to the 14 vidyas. The kalas and vidyas used to complement each other. Add depth to the understanding of vidya by practicing kala and cultivating practical abilities.

The concept of work is worship is present in the 64 kalas. This is because each of the disciplines coming under these has a specific aspect of the divine. Here, it won’t be irrelevant to elaborate on the main points of this subject briefly.

• In ancient times, people practicing any of these crafts or art forms considered it as a kind of worship. During the learning stages, these individuals worked hard to grasp the nuances of the discipline. Their guru constantly guided them.
• Due to their efforts, coupled with the commitment of the gurus, the aspirants were able to appreciate the divinity in the art or craft. Thus, it is obvious that when they become skilled enough to make it their professional activity, their everyday ...
... work is a sort of worship.
• Every discipline that is covered under the “64 kalas” enables its practitioner to connect to the divinity that is latent in all human beings. The moment that happens, the bliss that a practitioner experiences is something different. It is spiritual, and not worldly. It is logical that when a kala practitioner has this type of experience, their work no longer remains only a means of earning their living. It becomes worship.
• When a practitioner views their art form or craft as a kind of worship, the result will be flawless. The thing sold to the consumer will be the best of its kind in the market.
• It’s important to recognize a key aspect of ancient Bharat. The years that a pupil spends under the tutelage of their guru learning any of the 64 kalas were comparable to penance, a spiritual practice. This was the precise reason why the learners and practitioners were given the topmost respect.
• Every individual has creativity within them. This creativity gets awakened as soon as an aspirant is exposed to a craft or an art form that matches their aptitude. After that, learning the chosen discipline and attaining expertise in it become relatively uncomplicated things. Here, there is a key point. Becoming conscious of this creativity is automatic when a pupil adopts a prayerful attitude towards the skill they intend to learn.
• The “64 kalas” have a common objective. They seek to establish a connection between human beings and the divine. This is the foundational principle of all these arts and crafts. Therefore, it is unsurprising that people learning or practicing these skills are aware that they are worshipping the divine forces.
• It is now coming to knowledge of more people how the British destroyed the Indian manufacturing system for the benefit of their English manufacturing industry. By glorifying the clerk in the British Raj the craftsman was belittled.
• The constant harrassment of the traditional craftsman by rules and taxes favoring the British manufactured goods and lack of support during occasional difficult situation, broke the spirit of the craftsman. Many were forced them into work as unskilled labor either in agriculture or later in British inspired mass production manufacturing.
• With incentives removed for working with hands and lack of respect for Indian craftmanship a negative thinking got developed during British colonial times in many parts of India towards craftmanship and a negative connotation to physical work. As if work is meant for the unfortunate like in pre-rennaissance Europe.
• This mindset is against the mindset of 64 Kalas of ancient India. In the 64 Kala framework, work is pleasure, work is enjoyment, work gives satisfaction and work is divine.

In this article, we have tried to cover the respect for craftsmanship in ancient India. How, it got negatively affected in Colonial British Raj and its legacy in current attitudes towards physical work and craftsmanship.

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