For details of the sixty four arts one should consult the tantras. The two brothers made their guru take something (chandayam asatuh) saying "Please take as daksina something that you desire." According to the amara kosa, chanda means to have desire.

These two verses and the second half of the previous verse should be read together. First they learned the words of the Veda. The meaning is learned by teaching mīmāṁsa. Along with learning the meaning, one must learn other aṅgas in order to chant purely: śikṣā (pronunciation), vyākaraṇa (grammar), kalpa (ritual), jyotiṣa (astrology), chhanda (meter) and nirukti (etymology). These are the aṅgas. Astrology is used to create purity of time. After learning the aṅgas one should learn the Upaniṣads which are secret, first by words alone. After that they learned Dhanur- veda, since it was necessary for kṣatriyas. The meaning of these works was also taught. They then learned dharma-śāstras, since they assist in all knowledge. Then for specialized knowledge they learned the process of discerning the meaning of the Vedas (nyāya). This consists of studying works based on logic which follow the Vedas: authors like Jaimini, Kapila, Patañjali, and Bādarāyaṇa who produced pūrva-mīmāṁsa and other philosophies. Then they studied anvīkṣikī, filled with independent logic in order to defeat those with material philosophies. They then studied political science, when they became qualified for ruling. Studying in this order gives perfection. Sāndīpani taught them the arts for special pleasure. They learned all these sixty-four arts in sixty-four days and nights. The arts are listed by Śrīdhara Svāmī. Their essence will be described. They are as follows. (1) gītam, singing: how to compose songs, using svārajati and rāgas, various rhythms, and perception of elements which nourish or destroy the music. (2) vādyam, playing on musical instruments of four types, using rāgas, tālas as with singing. This will apply to other arts as well. (3) nṛtyam, dancing; (4) nāṭyam, drama; (5) ālekhyam, painting; (6) viśeṣaka-cchedyam, painting the face and body with colored unguents and cosmetics; (7) taṇḍula-kusuma-bali-vikārāḥ, preparing auspicious designs on the floor with rice and flowers used in worship; (8) puṣpāstaraṇam, making a bed of flowers; (9) daśana-vasanāṅga-rāgāḥ, coloring one’s teeth, clothes and limbs; (10) maṇi-bhūmikā-karma, inlaying a floor with jewels, as in the hall made by Maya for the Pāṇḍavas; (11) śayyā-racanam, making beds; (12) udaka-vādyam, ringing waterpots or making music in vessels established in water bodies; (13) udaka-ghātaḥ, the art of solidifying water; (14) citra-yogāḥ, methods of displaying amazing feats; (15) mālya-grathana-vikalpāḥ, preparing garlands; (16) śekharāpīḍa-yojanam, setting a helmet on the head; (17) nepathya-yogāḥ, putting on apparel in a dressing room; (18) karṇa-patra-bhaṅgāḥ, decorating the earlobe; (19) sugandha-yuktiḥ, applying perfumes; (20) bhūṣaṇa-yojanam, decorating with jewelry; (21) aindrajālam, magic; (22) kaucumāra-yogaḥ, the art of disguise; (23) hasta-lāghavam, sleight of hand; (24) citra-śākāpūpa-bhakṣya-vikāra-kriyaḥ, preparing varieties of vegetables, cake and other delicious food; (25) pānaka-rasa-rāgāsava-yojanam, preparing palatable drinks of various colors and preparing liquors; (26) sūcī-vāya-karma, needlework and weaving; (27) sūtra-krīḍā, making puppets dance by manipulating thin threads; ( (28) prahelikā, making puzzles with hidden meanings; (29) pratimālā, creating imitations of articles; (30) durvacaka-yogāḥ, uttering statements difficult for others to express; (31) pustaka-vācanam, quickily producing and speaking descriptions that do not exist; (32) nāṭikākhyāyikā-darśanam, knowledge of the scriptures on dramatic performance and writing them as well; (33) kāvya-samasyā-pūraṇam, completing verses whose portions are abbreviated or enigmatic, difficult to complete immediately, by substituting portions of the verse with another portion; (34) paṭṭikā-vetra-bāṇa-vikalpāḥ, making arrows and whips from flattened threads; (35) tarku-karma, spinning with a spindle; (36) takṣaṇam, carpentry; (37) vāstu-vidyā, preparing the ground and building houses; (38) raupya-ratna-parīkṣā, understanding real and fake silver and jewels; (39) dhātu-vādaḥ, producing metals like gold; (40) maṇi-rāga-jñānam, changing the color of jewels; (41) ākara-jñānam, detecting presence of jewels by looking at the earth; (42) vṛkṣāyur-veda-yogāḥ, herbal medicine; (43) meṣa-kukkuṭa-lāvaka-yuddha-vidhiḥ, the art of training and engaging rams, cocks and quails in fighting; (44) śuka-śārikā-pralāpanam, knowledge of how to train male and female parrots to speak; (45) utsādanam, giving up attachment to another person by using mantra; (46) keśa-mārjana-kauśalam, hairdressing; (47) akṣara-muṣṭikā-kathanam, telling what is what is hidden in another’s fist; (48) mlecchita-kutarka-vikalpāḥ, knowledge of various foreign languages, their conditions and scriptures; (49) deśa-bhāṣā-jñānam, knowledge of provincial dialects; (50) puṣpa-śakaṭikā-nirmiti-jñānam, knowledge of how to build toy carts with flowers; (51) yantra-mātṛkā, composing magic squares, arrangements of numbers adding up to the same total in all directions; (52) dhāraṇa-mātṛkā, the use of amulets; (53) saṁpāṭyam, cutting diamonds and other gems; (54) mānasī-kāvya-kriyā, composing verses which read other’s thoughts; (55) kriyā-vikalpāḥ, accomplishing in various ways one particular act; (56) chalitaka-yogāḥ, methods of cheating others; (57) abhidhāna-koṣa-cchando-jñānam, lexicography and the knowledge of poetic meters; (58) vastra-gopanam, making cotton cloth appear to be silk; (59) dyūta-viśeṣam, knowledge of various forms of gambling; (6o) ākarṣa-krīḍa, bringing close objects of play situated far away; (61) bālaka-krīḍanakam, playing with children; (62) vaināyikī vidyā, training elephants and horses; (63) vaijayikī vidyā, various methods of foretelling victory; and (64) vaitālikī vidyā, art of praising. Some of these arts are mentioned in the Kalpa-saṁhitā. An intelligent person can learn of these topics in one day and night. Other siddhis are mentioned such as knowing others’ thoughts, seeing or hearing at a great distance, and making potions from gems. Another meaning is that they learned all the sixty-four arts and the Vedas in sixty-four days and nights. Viṣṇu Purāṇa says: sarahasyaṁ dhanur-vedaṁ sa-saṁgraham adhīyatām / aho-rātraiś catuḥ-ṣaṣṭyā tad adbhutam abhūd dvūja // O brāhmaṇa! It is astonishing that in sixty-four days and nights they learned the Dhanur-veda and all other works. Hari-vaṁśa says: tau ca śrutidharau vīrau yathāvat pratipadyatām / ahorātraiś catuḥṣaṣṭyā sāṅgaṁ vedam adhīyatām // The two boys with full retention of memory, learned all the Vedas and their aṅgas in sixty-four days and nights.

Or they were the initiators of all knowledge. To teach others only they made an appearance of learning. O king! Śukadeva expresses joy because they learned quickly, and would serve their guru at completion of their studies. They studied even during the night. They learned the Vedas while following the rules with service to guru (saṁyattau) in sixty-four days and other subjects in several more days and nights. Or this verse explains the previous that they learned in a few days. Some kalās are kalpa-saṁhitās. One of them can be learned in one day and night, but in a general way only. Other kalās are more complex works. Or all the kalās were mastered in sixty-four days and nights. sarahasyaṁ dhanur-vedaṁ sa-saṁgraham adhīyatām / aho-rātraiś catuḥ-ṣaṣṭyā tad adbhutam abhūd dvūja // O brāhmaṇa! It is astonishing that in sixty-four days and nights they learned the Dhanur-veda and all other works. Viṣṇu Purāṇa tau ca śrutidharau vīrau yathāvat pratipadyatām / ahorātraiś catuḥṣaṣṭyā sāṅgaṁ vedam adhīyatām // The two boys with full retention of memory, learned all the Vedas and their aṅgas in sixty-four days and nights. Hari-vaṁśa They offered him a donation, though he did not want it. O king! Śukadeva exclaims in astonishment.