Did the 72 kalas of men include cooking and household chores
In Jain literature, the 72 kalā (arts) of men are mostly:
- learning and teaching of scriptures
- mathematics, astrology, architecture
- warfare, weapon skills, politics
- music, painting, sculpture, crafts, etc.
They are described as special worldly skills (aupcharik kalā), not as daily home duties.
Cooking and household chores:
- In the standard lists of 72 kalā of men,
- Knowledge‑type arts like medicine, food science, use of herbs, preparation of medicines or special foods can appear,
In many Jain and broader Indian traditions, “64 kalā of women” are separately listed, and there you do find skills like cooking, decoration, sewing, etc.
So, in short:
- No – the 72 kalās of men do not explicitly include everyday cooking and household chores.
- At most, they include higher knowledge about food and herbs, not daily housework.