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Did the 72 kals of men include cooking and household chores
In Jain tradition, the 72 kalās (arts/skills) taught to men by Bhagwān Ṛishabhdev (Ādināth) are a broad set of social, technical, and fine arts, such as:
- Agriculture (kṛṣi)
- Trade and commerce (vāṇijya)
- Writing and record‑keeping (masi / lipi)
- Use of weapons for protection (asi)
- Various crafts and architecture (śilpa)
- Music, dance, instrumental arts, etc. ( jainknowledge.com)
About your specific point:
Did they include cooking and household chores?
- Yes, in essence they do cover such skills, but usually:
- The texts don’t list “cooking” and “household chores” in modern words. - Instead they speak of household management, crafts, preparation and handling of food, clothing, decoration, etc. especially in the 64 kalās for women, and more general productive skills in the 72 kalās for men. ( jainknowledge.com)
- 72 kalās for men
- Focus more on public and productive life: agriculture, trade, writing, administration, crafts, warfare (for protection), music, etc. - But many of these naturally involve skills that relate to managing resources, food, materials, and homes.
- 64 kalās for women
- Traditional lists (which differ slightly in Digambar and Śvetāmbara texts) explicitly include many domestic and decorative arts: clothing, garlands, body‑care, toy‑making, decoration, etc. - These clearly fall under what we would today call household skills. ( jainknowledge.com)
Digambar and Śvetāmbara view
- Both traditions agree:
- Exact item‑by‑item lists differ slightly in name and grouping, but the overall coverage of social, domestic and fine arts is accepted on both sides. ( jainknowledge.com)
So, while the 72 kalās are not usually written as “cooking” and “household chores” in our present language, the broader system of 72 (men) and 64 (women) arts definitely includes domestic and household‑related skills within it.
You can read a simple explanation about the 72 and 64 kalās here: You can read more here and here .
