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Purushaarth

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Purushaarth

Aims or objectives (of life) or human values to achieve in life. The pleasures and gains of the humans are called Purushaarth, in its axiological meaning. Hindoo have four such Purushaarth or human values - Dharm which is  probity, Arth which is prosperity, Kaam which is pleasures of Indriyaan, and finally Moksh which is atonement or blessedness.

Of these four only the first three - Dharm, Arth, Kaam are usually referred, and they are called Tri-Varga . The final one - the Moksh, is not often quoted. Dharm is the driving force. Hence Dharm is the prescribed conduct, either by scriptures or by the society, and it does not entail any merit or demerit, but just an obligatory conduct or duty.

The other two - Arth and Kaam, are the means of Dharm, and all leading to Moksh. These two great epics Raamaayan and Mahaabhaarat are structured on these Purushaarth alone. Thus though Raamaayan is abounding with the accounts of richness and glory of all kinds of wealth, which is secondary to human values, its main import is the virtuosity of human living.
[Valmiki Ramayan, 1/3]


A Hindu has four Purushaarth or four goals of his life -

(1) Dharm - the first and the foremost goal of life. Actions according to Ved and Shaastra, Varn and Aashram, leading a moral and spiritual life with faith and trust in God.
(2) Arth - earning money with honesty and diligently to become prosperous to achieve a decent worldly life and to d Dharm actions.
(3) Kaam - desire, so fulfill one's desires to enjoy life. and
(4) Moksh - emancipation, or perfection or beatitude or to be free from the cycle of birth and death.

 

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Created by Sushma Gupta on 3/15/06
Contact:  sushmajee@yahoo.com
Updated on 06/09/11