Dharma Artha Kama Moksha – The 4

Purusharthas

Millennia ago, Saints in ancient Eastern traditions articulated the blueprint for the fulfillment
human birth, as it was revealed to them in the highest states of meditation and consciousness.
The Supreme Self pervades and exists in all dimensions and all beings, sentient and
insentient. And it is that Supreme Self which lives inside every person. Therefore every
person is none other than the Supreme Self.

For an individual to realize their Supreme Self, they need to identify the reasons and
objectives for which they came into being on this earth plane and ultimately fulfill those
purposes. The ancient sages articulated the goals of humankind
as Purusharthas. Purusha means an individual or person, and Artha means objective,
meaning, or pursuit. The four Purusharthas are:

 Dharma: Righteousness, Duty

 Artha: Wealth
 Kama: Desire
 Moksha: Liberation
The four Purusharthas are indeed the qualities and objectives of the Supreme Self and God.
And since an individual is a reflection and manifestation of God, it is the rightful pursuit of a
person to fulfill these four Purusharthas. In fact, it is both your individual and soul purpose.

An individual can realize him or herself by balancing and fulfilling these four objectives.
They are not independent or mutually exclusive of each other and should not be viewed in a
stand-alone manner. They define and refine the other objectives and allow the other
objectives to define and refine itself. The activity of fulfilling one objective should also
support the fulfillment of the others. By maintaining a balance between the definition and
realization of the four Purusharthas, a symbiotic evolution of the individual self takes place.
Exclusive pursuit of one Purushartha creates an imbalance in a person’s life and prevents the
person from reaching the ultimate destination of their life. Take Artha, for example. If an
individual seeks only wealth but lacks in righteousness, and the fulfillment of their duty, an
emptiness and lack of full spiritual evolution will take hold.

However, through a well-balanced pursuit of the four Purusharthas deep fulfillment is within
your grasp. As a person progresses through the evolution of their soul, they find that some of
the objectives eventually lose their place and importance to other objectives. For example, the
desire to earn wealth may diminish and disappear, or a person may realize that there are no
more material desires that they need to pursue, and hence more room is created for the pursuit
of the ultimate objective, Moksha, which is liberation or self-realization.

Dharma
A person is born on this earth to fulfill certain duties. The soul houses itself into the physical
body which is most suited for performing these duties. The work that a person needs to do,
which may be tied to their body, family, or commitments, among others, can be
the Dharma of the person. Dharma is a difficult word to translate into English, but can
roughly be explained as the rightful duty of a person. This is the true calling of a person, what
they are born to do. Examples of a person’s Dharma may be their professional or familial
roles such as a doctor, teacher, writer, warrior, priest, parent, etc. Sometimes a person’s
Dharma is decided by their birth, but this is not necessarily determinative. A person’s
Dharma can be a combination of things, and as a person progresses through life, different
stages of life may call for different Dharmas or rightful purposes.

For example, a professional may need to transition to the role of parent and then later back
professional. Tuning into the inner guide allows a person to identify their Dharma, their true
calling. You can do this by finding and aligning your life purpose and soul purpose.
Artha
Artha is the pursuit of material wealth, which may bring material comfort to a person. People
sometimes believe that the path of spiritual growth and pursuit of material wealth are
mutually exclusive, or even that a spiritual seeker needs to be in poverty. But that is not true.
If we look at the Universe, it is a reflection of abundance. Nature is abundant in everything.
Poverty is nothing but a state of consciousness. If abundance is a quality of the Divine, how
is the pursuit of abundance in contrast with the pursuit of the Divine? If one is in poverty, in a
state of continually worrying about how to support and feed, how can one pursue spirituality?
When one can move beyond daily worries, they can focus their attention on the goal of union
with the Divine. However, it is essential to remain unattached to the possession or attainment
of wealth. It can be either transcended or sought with detachment, and with awareness. When
done in this state of mind, the pursuit of wealth is not different from the pursuit of the Divine,
because one sees abundance, or wealth as a form of the Divine. And in this state of
detachment, one recognizes when one has attained their financial objectives. When that
happens, the desire to pursue wealth automatically dies away, paving the way for Moksha.

Kama
Kama is fulfilling one’s desires. Desires may come in various forms — to be wealthy,
powerful, sexual needs, for recognition, etc. The Kama Purushartha advocates that one’s
desires need to be fulfilled in their lifetime, albeit in a state of awareness and without
harming anyone in the process. For a person to evolve spiritually and to reach the ultimate
destination, the barrier of their desires needs to be crossed. This can be done either by
fulfilling the desires or by sublimating or transcending them. Suppression of desires
altogether is not recommended because it is like a fully coiled spring that is held down by
force. These suppressed desires can erupt, sometimes unpredictably, causing detrimental
consequences. As one becomes aware of their desires and goes about fulfilling them in
awareness and without judgment, one soon reaches the stage of being able to sublimate and
eventually transcend them. The Divine, the Universe, lends a big hand in the process.

Moksha
Moksha means liberation, the realization of the Self, and is the ultimate destination of this
human birth. It is the stage of inner realization that the individual self is the same as the
Supreme Self. Moksha is the experience of the cosmos within one’s self. It is the experience
of the flow and fusion of the Shiva and Shakti energies in one’s self. The experience of
union, Oneness or Ekatvam  with one’s Higher Self is Moksha.

As all the rivers eventually lead to the sea, there are many spiritual paths leading to the same
destination. Some paths are shorter than others, and some are more arduous than others. The
path can be difficult to navigate, and the it may not always be visible. One path,
the Pratyangira Sadhana is a direct road to Moksha, guided by the Divine Mother
Pratyangira Herself.
The mission of Ekatvam is to help people realize their True Selves. For each to become one
with their Supreme Self, to achieve Moksha, in this lifetime. Often, people make the mistake
of renouncing everything in the pursuit of Moksha. At different stages of one’s spiritual
evolution, this may turn out to be the wrong path and is not suited for everyone. The path for
each person to reach the ultimate destination is unique, and it is only the individual self that
can identify and see the path with the help of the Divine guidance. At Ekatvam, we are
honored to assist your soul in this pursuit and invite you to contact us.
inding Your Soul’s Purpose: The Four
Purusharthas
The four Purusharthas look directly into what
moves us, the diverse demands and opportunities of
our lives, and remind us that our yoga practice
should leave nothing out.
SEPTEMBER 21, 2016NATARAJA KALLIO

Not I, nor anyone else, can travel that road for you.
You must travel it by yourself.
It is not far. It is within reach.
Perhaps you have been on it since you were born, and did not know.
Perhaps it is everywhere—on water and land.
—Walt Whitman
The journey of yoga begins with a whispered question that lives within the silent
depths of our hearts, a longing to know who we are and why we are here. Meditating
deeply on these questions, ancient sages discovered four major forces at play that
profoundly shape our day-to-day lives and guide us on a path to meaningful
fulfillment.

The Purusharthas, referred to in Vedic texts and within the great epics of the
Ramayana and Mahabharata, are translated in Sanskrit as the “goals of human
existence” or “the soul’s purpose.” These universal aims influence every thought and
deed of our lives. They are artha, kama, dharma, and moksha.

Artha is material welfare and the pursuit of the means we need to survive and
prosper within the complex political and economic forces of our times. Kama is
desire, our experience of enjoyment, pleasure, beauty, sensual satisfaction, love, and
delight. Dharma is right action in accord with natural law (Rta), service to the
greater good, and the discovery of our true purpose, why we are here.
And, moksha is spiritual realization and freedom.

Traditionally, yoga is most widely understood as the pursuit of moksha. Perhaps a

more integrated vision of the four Purusharthas, and closer to their original intent, is
that for such a complete spiritual ripening to occur, we need to integrate and balance
all four, the foremost of which is dharma.

See also Spiritual Conflict: Does Desire Make You Spiritually Weak?

Dharma

Why am I here?
Happiness is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.
—Helen Keller

An Indian tale recounts how a king asked his assistant to go on a long journey in
order to acquire a document important to the kingdom’s survival. The young man set
forth on his journey, excited about the prospect of seeing new places and meeting
new people. After two years he returned, anxious to tell the king about his myriad
experiences and to offer him all the rare things he found. The king patiently listened
to his long story and when the young man was finally finished, asked him, “And
where is the document you were asked to retrieve?” Stunned by the question, the
assistant realized that he had entirely forgotten the purpose of his journey.

This parable illustrates that no matter how many experiences we might have, if we
don’t follow and fulfill our life’s purpose, the journey will be empty no matter how
seemingly full. There are many different meanings for dharma, but in this context,
dharma refers to one’s life purpose. It is why we are here, the deeper lessons we’ve
come to understand, and the gifts we’ve come to offer the world. In the Bhagavad
Gita, Krishna counsels a doubting and confused Arjuna: “It is better to do one’s own
dharma, however imperfectly, than to do another’s, however perfectly.” In Vedic
times, one’s role in society was prescribed depending on one’s caste, whether it was
to be laborer, warrior, merchant, or priest. In modern times, especially in the West,
when such roles aren’t defined, following dharma challenges us to listen to and
follow our inner compass and the wise counsel of trusted spiritual friends.

Our understanding and practice of dharma changes throughout life and involves a
continuous commitment to self-discovery. Dharma encompasses not only our
responsibilities to our families and society, but also the inner lessons we’ve come to
learn and the qualities we are here to embody. It is our offering of self to the world
that no other person can express in quite the same way.

See also Finding Your Dharma as a Path to Yogic Healing

Artha

What do I need?
Dharma is well practiced by the good. Dharma, however, is always afflicted by two things,
the desire for profit (artha) entertained by those that covet it, and the desire for pleasure
(kama) cherished by those that are wedded to it. Whoever, without afflicting dharma by
profit, or dharma by pleasure, follow all three—dharma, profit and pleasure—succeeds in
obtaining great happiness.
—The Mahabharata, Book 9.60

In many religious traditions, material wealth and spiritual pursuits are opposed to
each other; to pursue one, you must forsake the other. The image of a trident-bearing
ascetic wearing a loincloth can be contrasted with that of a radiant queen living in a
sumptuous palace. How do we reconcile these seemingly opposite expressions of
artha? When we reflect on our own lives, we may find that at times we move more
toward renunciation (of the material) and at other times toward worldly engagement.

The outer circumstances aren’t necessarily indicative of what’s really going on. An
ascetic may have deep attachment to the respect he gets from others for his
renunciation and the queen may be able to renounce in a heartbeat the luxurious
display of her domain. What is unique about artha is that it supports and is in service
to our true dharma, whatever that may be.

However, for us, living in a strong consumer society, we need to be aware of how easy
it is to be overwhelmed by the pursuit of material gain and the constant chasing after
comfort. How many square feet do we really need to shelter ourselves? How much
food do we need to stay healthy and fulfilled? There are so many ways in which we
can become hijacked into pursuing far more than our essential needs. Our lives can
toil in the continuous cycle of getting and spending. When we become clear about our
dharma, then we can more easily discern what we really need as material support.
See also Mind-Mapping Meditation to Identify Shraddha + Dharma

Kama

What do I want?
Wherever Beauty peeped out, Love appeared beside it; wherever Beauty shone in a rosy
cheek, Love lit his torch from that flame.
―Jami

In Indian mythology, Kama is often depicted as the god of love holding a bow and
arrow aimed to resuscitate the sunken hearts of those in despair and tempt the
mighty. Kama’s arrows are flower-tipped and his bow is described as the mightiest in
the universe, though it is made simply of a sugar cane reed and a string of buzzing
bees. At Kama’s appearance, pregnant storm clouds emerge from the horizon,
flowers unfold their petals, and lightning splits the sky. Intoxicating fragrances
envelop the land, and humans perform the oldest of rituals, the dance of fertility.

All that is born originates from kama. Nothing from birth to death occurs without
kama. It is the yearning that draws us to the threshold of the temple and the fierce
love that helps the yogi transform destructive expressions of desire. Kama is
powerful and double-edged: his love arrows can open a closed heart or wreak havoc
on even the most disciplined and accomplished of ascetics.

Kama can also be the cause of so much suffering. Desire in its unrefined aspect can
be an insatiable hunger. When it is suffused with our dharma it is the natural
experience, without too much clinging and attachment, of pleasure, love, and the
sweet beauty of the world and the bounty of our relationships. Kama is healing in
that it revitalizes our senses, softens the hardened focus of the mind, and brings a
loving twinkle to our eye. It is the source of our creativity and the fullness of love that
naturally desires to help all those who come into our lives.

Moksha

Who am I?
The heart of the universe with every throb hurls the flood of happiness into every artery, vein
and veinlet, so that the whole system is inundated with tides of joy. The plenty of the poorest
place is too great: the harvest cannot be gathered. Every sound ends in music. The edge of
every surface is tinged with prismatic rays.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson

Moksha is the full awakening to our real nature and the liberation from suffering. In
the tradition of Patanjali and early Buddhism, moksha is a final yogic attainment
expressed as the release from ignorance and an extrication from this world. In the
tantric tradition, moksha is being free in the midst of the cacophony of the world, a
continuing revelation and opening to the never-ending depths of wisdom and love. At
its root, moksha is the universal desire for healing, well-being, spiritual
understanding, and the experience of our true nature. It is the hidden knowing, the
sudden whisper we may hear when things have gone most wrong in our lives or when
we are truly receptive, reminding us of our unbounded divine heritage.

See also Stoke Your Spirit: Achieve True Meditation

Balancing the Four Purusharthas

The technique of a world-changing yoga has to be as uniform, sinuous, patient, all-including
as the world itself. If it does not deal with all the difficulties or possibilities and carefully
deal with each necessary element, does it have any chance of success?
—Sri Aurobindo

Like the threads woven together to create a unified tapestry, every facet of our lives
can become an opportunity to practice yoga. The Purusharthas look directly into
what moves us, the diverse demands and opportunities of our lives, and remind us
that our yoga practice should leave nothing out.

About Our Expert

Nataraja Kallio is a professor of Yoga Studies at Naropa University, in Boulder,
Colorado

Purushartha: The 4 Aims of Human Life

Personal Growth

Karma

Dharma

Roger Gabriel
January 05, 2019 08:00 AM

“If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you. If you bring forth what is within you, what you
bring forth will save you.” ~ Christ

The Purusharthas are the inherent values of the Universe: Artha (economic values), Kama (pleasure), Dharma (righteousness),

and Moksha (liberation). The Purusharthas are the blueprint for human fulfillment. Working with them helps you create a satisfyingly
balanced, meaningful life at the deepest and most holistic level. They offer a way for evaluating your life and making good decisions.
Knowing your goals brings meaning to your spiritual practice.
Purushatha means “for the purpose of the Self. Take a moment and ask yourself, ‘Am I managing my life in a way to support my
spiritual growth?’ and ‘What do I really, really want at the level of my Soul?’”

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.

1. Dharma
Dharma means truth, the right way of living, and human behaviors considered necessary for the order of things in the world. On a
grander scale, it refers to the cosmic law or rules that created the Universe from chaos.

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.

Ultimately, Dharma leads you to remember who you really are.

Dharma also brings stability and order, a life that is lawful and harmonious, and the striving to do the right thing, to be virtuous, to be
helpful to others, and to interact successfully with society. The great Indian text, The Bhagavad Gita says, “The greatest dereliction of
Dharma is to desert the helpless in their time of need.”

Vedanta tells us that you can discover your Dharma by studying sacred teachings from the examples of highly evolved people,
reflecting on and following what satisfies your heart, and listening to your deepest inner feelings.

At the Chopra Center, we suggest asking your heart, “What is my purpose, how can I serve?” Just silently ask the question and listen to
whatever answer arises, without evaluation or judgment. We also recommend making two lists, one of all the things you are good at and
the other of all the things you really enjoy doing. The items that are on both lists will give you a clue to your Dharma or the path to
follow.

The Bhagavad Gita also says, “Better your own Dharma though imperfect than the Dharma of another done perfectly.” This means that
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.

2. Artha
Artha is the security of having the material comfort you need to live in the world with ease. While some people think that to be spiritual
means to be poor, 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 is one of the basic human dignities—to have enough assets to live on and care for your family, without hoarding or being
greedy. Artha guides you to ask the question, “What do I see as truly valuable?”

Needs vary from person to person. 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. The Upanishads tell us, “There
is no joy in smallness, joy is in the infinite.”

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. However, it’s important that your "worldly success" doesn’t violate the moral responsibility of your
Dharma and your journey toward Moksha (spiritual liberation).

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.

Paramhansa Yogananda said, “Seek spiritual riches within. What you are is much greater than anything or anyone else you have ever
yearned for. And remember, the fear of not having, disguises the reality that we have everything.”

3. Kama
The desire for pleasure is what drives human behavior. A life without pleasure and enjoyment is hollow and empty.

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.

To successfully practice Kama, you must ask, “Are my pleasures aligned with my life’s purpose?” The Upanishads tell us, “As is your
desire so is your will, as is your will so is your deed, as is your deed so is your destiny and You are what your deep driving desire is.”

Many Westerners were introduced to Kama when the ancient Indian text, The Kama Sutra, became popular. Unfortunately, it was
generally misinterpreted as a sex manual; it is actually a guide to a virtuous and gracious living that discusses the nature of love, family
life, and other aspects pertaining to pleasure-oriented faculties of human life. In truth, it depicts Kama as an essential and joyful aspect
of human existence.

To practice Kama from a yogic perspective means to practice being fully present with whatever you’re experiencing. Kama is a total
sensory experience that includes discovering the object, learning about the object, establishing emotional connection, learning the
process of enjoyment, and experiencing the resulting feeling of well-being before, during, and after the experience.

Vedanta warns us that 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.

4. Moksha
When you live your Dharma, fully supported by Artha and Kama, Moksha or the final liberation dawns.

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.
Such realization comes from self-knowledge and self-discipline. Moksha is self-discipline that is so perfect that it becomes unconscious,
second nature, an unworldly understanding, and a state of bliss. This liberation comes from a life lived with inner purity, alert mind, led
by reason, intelligence, and realization of the Supreme Self who dwells in all beings. As the poet Rumi says, “The whole Universe exists
within us, ask all from yourself.” While Lao Tzu tells us, “Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is Enlightenment.”

Moksha is seen as a final release from life’s illusion. The Upanishads describe the liberated individual as one who treats others with
respect (regardless of how others treat him/her); returns anger with soft and kind words; doesn’t expect praise from others; never injures
or harms any life form; is as comfortable being alone as in the presence of others; and is humble of clear and steady mind,
straightforward, compassionate, and patient.

Your journey through the Purusharthas is beautifully summarized by Swami Chinmayananda, “May your life be simple and pure so you
know only beauty. May your mind be clear and quiet so you speak only of Truth. May your heart be filled with love and compassion so
you radiate Light to all you meet. May all you do be blessed with Divine Grace.”
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