The four Purusharthas are the fundamental principle of Hinduism. They are the target of human life, and following them will lead a proper meaningful life and at the end will be eligible for Moksha.
Purushartha is made from the two Sanskrit words,
Purush refers to a human being, irrespective of gender.
Artha refers to a purpose, objective, or target.
Purushartha means Purpose of the human life.
The four Purusharthas help us assess our lives and make wise choices. Having clear goals gives purpose to our spiritual journey.
The root of this Purushartha is found in the world’s oldest scripture Vedas. They mentioned only the first three Dharma, Artha, and Kama. But with the progression of knowledge and creation of the Upanishad, the fourth one Moksha also added. The path of Moksha totally depends on the balanced interaction of Dharma, Artha, and Kama.
1. Dhrama
Dharma means right conduct, the right way of living also duties that we need to follow in our life. In Hinduism Dharma is never used for religion. It refers to the truthful behavior of every human in every situation. It is a kind of cosmic law or rule to teach us how to live our lives.
Our scriptures define two types of Dharma,
1. Samanya Dharma (Eternal Duties)
Dharma that everyone should follow. Like speaking truth, mercy, respecting others, respecting women, control over senses, compassion, honesty, absence of greed, etc.
2. Sva Dharma (Personal duties)
This Dharma depends on the Ashrama Dharma and Varna Dharma. The four Varnas Brahman, Kshatriya, Vaishya, and Shudra are the four Varna. Dharma applicable to the respective varna is known as Varnadharma.
Brahmacharyashram, Gruhasthashram, Vanaprasthashram and Sanyasashram are the four ashrams. This is limited to a particular stage of life.
Sva dharma defines on which class you belong and what is your age. If you are a Brahmin in Gruhsthashram then duties are different than Brahman in Vanaprasthashram.
2. Artha
Artha means any kind of possessions. It is likely the security of having material comfort to live a life with ease.
Artha can be anything that you can possess in this world like, anything that allows you to live a fulfilling life and also means to achieve it. Like knowledge, friendships, love, career, skills, good health, and prosperity.
The common misconception is that spirituality starts with being poor. Artha is not about leaving everything, but it is about filling content for what you have and not being greedy. It is ok to have enough assets to support your family and maybe sometimes more than enough but the thing is not being greedy about that. Thinking like that leads us to detachment and makes our lives more meaningful.
The current world problems and health issues mostly come from greed, and not having satisfaction with your situation. Understanding the true value of Artha can free us from these problems and can make our lives happy.
3. Kama
Kama means any kind of desire. The desire is the most important for humans as it drives human behavior without it human life is hollow and empty. Even the Sanyasis have a desire to achieve moksha. So Desire is something that keeps us running, gives us a goal to live our life, and is thus very important.
Most people consider Kama mean only sexual desire. No that’s not true. That’s not the only meaning. Kama means also desire for art, music, dance, love, kindness even desire for liberation or desire to achieve God. It brings meaning to our daily life.
The right kind of desire, at the right time, leads us to live a life followed by Dharma. Kama is necessary for human life it will give fruitful results and lead us towards liberation if it is backed by Dharma. Excessive desire is the reason for Patan(downfall). Kama without Dharma leads to addiction, sloth, greed, and lust.
4. Moksha
Final stage, Final station, or final goal of human life. This is something for what we are living. Being free from everything is the ultimate target of human life.
When we experience life with Artha and Kama fully supported by Dharma, opens door for Moksha.
According to our scriptures, a person has to take birth again and again until he achieves Moksha.
To attain Moksha one has to pass through the three states of Purushartha, Dharma, Artha, and Kama until one can be free from all worldly desires and possessions. One has to experience the things before leaving it.
After understanding the whole world outside us, we are finally ready to experience the real world inside us.
What is Moksha?
- Liberation
- Free from the cycle of birth
- Realize your true nature
- Realize the supreme God
- Complete detachment from worldly things and persons
- This is also called human with its actual capacity
- Seeing the world and ourselves as part of the same creator
- There is nothing left to achieve after this
How to achieve Moksha?
Our scripture suggested four paths to achieve Moksha
1. Gyan Marga – Path of knowledge
Jnana Yoga encourages people to explore reality, themselves, and the universe with wisdom. It teaches that understanding is crucial for freedom and self-discovery.
2. Bhakti Marga – path of devotion
Bhakti Yoga is about love, devotion, and surrender, aiming for unity with the Divine. It believes that sincere devotion can lead to the highest connection with the Supreme.
3. Karma Marga – path of selfless service
Engaging in actions without expecting anything in return.
4. Raja Marga – Path of meditation
In Raja Yoga, meditation (called dhyana) is key. Practitioners focus on regular meditation sessions, concentrating on things like breath, a mantra, or a visual symbol. Through meditation, they learn to watch their thoughts without getting attached, calming their minds over time.
Conclusion
Purusharthas are like guideline for the human life. They teach us what to have and how? Artha means properties and Kama means desires are the important part of the human life, without them human life will lost its purpose. But the reminder here is to achieve them by following the direction of Dharma and that will consider as right conduct and lead us to the path of Moksha.