FOUR PURUSHARTHA OF LIFE

FOUR PURUSHARTHA OF LIFE

Puruṣārtha literally means an "object of human pursuit".[1] It is a key concept in Hinduism, and refers to the four proper goals or aims of a human life.

 The four puruṣārthas are

1) Dharma (righteousness, moral values),

2) Artha (prosperity, economic values), 

3)Kama (pleasure, love, psychological values) and

4) Moksha (liberation, spiritual values). 

All four Purusarthas are important, but in cases of conflict, Dharma is considered more important than Artha or Kama in Hindu philosophy. Moksha is considered the ultimate ideal of human life. 

The original Vedic texts only suggested the three goals of Dharma, Artha, and Kama. In the later Upanishadic era, when people began to seek higher consciousness, the fourth goal of Moksha was added. Although the first three are somewhat interwoven, it is felt that the “right action” of Dharma is a necessary requirement for Artha to be meaningful and the abundance of Artha will be needed to support Kama. The path to liberation or enlightenment of Moksha is supported by the harmonious interaction of Dharma, Artha, and Kama.

Dharma :

   Dharma means truth, the right way of living, and human behaviors considered necessary for the order of things in the world. On an individual level, you can think of Dharma as your true purpose in life or the ethical basis on which you live your life. It is also:

• Being conscious in your actions, words, and thoughts.

• Having compassion and sensitivity to the needs of others.

• Being awake to the existence of the Divine within you.

Hindu dharma includes the religious duties, moral rights and duties of each individual, as well as behaviors that enable social order, right conduct, and those that are virtuous. .Bhagvad geta says, you need to find your own truth and even though you may make mistakes along the way, this is still preferable to trying to copy others. Vedanta tells us that you will know when you are in Dharma when your actions are spontaneously correct, you automatically know what to do in any situation, you are in harmony with and your life is supported by everything around you, you feel complete within yourself, and life becomes effortless.

Dharma is considered the first of the Purusharthas because without it, Artha and Kama can easily become self-destructive. However, Artha and Kama, when balanced, also serve to support your Dharmic Path and eventually your outward Dharma leads you to inner Moksha.

ARTH – 

Artha signifies the "means of life", activities and resources that enables one to be in a state one wants to be in. Artha incorporates wealth, career, activity to make a living, financial security and economic prosperity. The proper pursuit of artha is considered an important aim of human life in Hinduism. Artha is not about rejecting the world, but being content with the things you own. It’s to live skillfully in a world of material objects that exist for your benefit. Artha includes everything in your environment that allows you to live a fulfilling life and also the means to achieve it. It includes knowledge, friendships, love, career, skills, good health, and prosperity. Artha provides the foundation for Dharma and Kama. Without prosperity and security in society or at the individual level, both moral life and sensuality become difficult. Ultimately, Artha is the pursuit of activities and means necessary for a joyous and pleasurable life. Vedanta says that you should:

• Discover a way so money runs after you and not vice versa.

• Do work that is compatible to your nature and capabilities.

• Do work that serves society.

• Do work you really love.

• Trust in the infinite organizing power of the Universe.

Kama:

Kama refers to all the desires in man for the enjoyment and satisfaction of the senses. Kama relates to this pleasure, which can be sensuality, but is also art, music, beauty, love, intimacy, affection, fellowship, and kindness—it’s what brings a sense of delight to your life. The right kinds of pleasure lead you toward your Dharma and help you fulfill it with passion. Kama is good and necessary when it exists to support Dharma and becomes part of the richness of life. However, excessive Kama can lead to overindulgence, addiction, sloth, greed, and lust. Kama should be followed with thought, care, caution, and enthusiasm, and be free from worries and egotistical problems. Know and seek which pleasures are saturated with Divine Consciousness and are drenched in the ecstasies of the soul. Ultimately, the highest Kama is the longing for Oneness with the Divine.

Moksha: 

Moksha signifies emancipation, liberation or release. Hindu traditions consider moksha the ultimate goal of life. In Hindu traditions, moksha is a central concept and the utmost aim to be attained through three paths during human life. Moksha is a concept associated with saṃsāra (birth-rebirth cycle). Samsara originated with religious movements in the first millennium BCE.These movements such as Buddhism, Jainism and new schools within Hinduism, saw human life as bondage to a repeated process of rebirth. This bondage to repeated rebirth and life, each life subject to injury, disease and aging, was seen as a cycle of suffering. By release from this cycle, the suffering involved in this cycle also ended. This release was called moksha, nirvana, kaivalya, mukti and other terms in various Indian religious traditions

Moksha is your true nature—it’s who you really are. It includes:

• Emancipation.

• Liberation.

• Freedom from the cycle of death and rebirth.

• Freedom from ignorance.

• Self-realization and self-knowledge.

• Consciousness of the Oneness of the Supreme Soul.

• The removal of obstacles to an unrestricted life.

• Access to our full human potential of creativity, compassion, and understanding.

Vedanta tells us that liberation comes to those who know Brahman as that which is the origin and end of all things, the universal principle behind and at source of everything that exists, and the consciousness that pervades everything and everyone.

Shilpa Pandit -Nasik