64 Kalas - Work As Worship Concept 
                     64 Kalas - Work As Worship Concept 
Chaitanya Kumari
Writes informational articles on ancient Indian 
artisan vocational education, 64 kala or 
vocational education of ancient india, along 
with others articles on finance, health, 
sanathana dharma and wisdom.
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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