Chapter – 6

Indian approach of life

Subtitle
 The four purusharthas (Goals of life)

Dharma: Righteousness and moral values.

Artha: Attain financial and worldly success.

Kama: Satisfy desires.

Moksha: Liberation from cycle birth &death.

 Purushartha
“Purushartha,” in Sanskrit,
means what we desire for. The
word is also commonly used to
mean “self-effort,” namely,
what people strive for.
In Sanatana Dharma this word
is used specifically to indicate
the set of four goals, namely,
dharma, artha, kama and
moksha, under which all
human desires can be
classified.
 The table indicates which Purushartha was
predominant in which era

Satyayuga Tretayuga Dwaparyuga Kaliyuga

1 . Dharma √
2 . Artha √
3 . Kama √
4 . Moksha √
 Modern society has made us blindly follow other people’s
ambitions and fall in the rat race and in the end realize that we
Let’s not fall in have been on a meaningless trip, by then it is too late.
the rat race Let’s pause and try to understand what is it that which we
really want.
 Ignoring Indian culture and blind
imitation of Western society

Why Tendencies to pursue the

morality is Kama and Artha at the expense of
declined any sense of Dharma is dangerous to
us and even threatening our planet.
in today’s
society?
Our ancestors of this country upheld
morality in society by following the
four purusharthas( goals of life).
Dharma maintains stability of society
 Sanatana Dharma promotes
excellence in all spheres of
life- in one’s education, in
ones’ earning of wealth, in
one’s fulfillment of desires-
provided these are done
ethically and with wisdom.

Is Vedic Culture or Sanatana

Dharma is against worldly
success or fulfilling one’s
desires?
Does Sanatana Dharma appreciate various basic needs of man ?
Sanatana Dharma appreciates
the fact that man is a complex
being
he needs intellectual
satisfaction to quench his
thirst for knowledge,
he needs emotional support
and peace of mind,
he needs to find creative
outlets for his talents, and
he needs means of physical
sustenance and conveniences
for his bodily existence,
and above all he needs
spiritual upliftment and a
means to find the Ultimate
Truth.
Four aims of
human life
Thus, in order to satisfy such
various needs, Sanatana Dharma
lays down four acceptable aims for
Man that all men can rightfully
seek, that all humans can strive for
as a birth right. These four aims are
what are known as the
“Purusharthas” – Dharma, Artha,
Kama, and Moksha.

These four are responsible for

balance in human life and make
life a rich and rewarding
experience.

Ancient seers expressed the blue

print for the fulfilment of the
objectives of our birth called
“Purushartha”
 The first of the goals is dharma, a word which is difficult to
translate in English. It has been variously translated as virtue,
duty, faith, religion, righteousness, sacred law justice, and ethics

Dharma and so on.

Following dharma which, can make everyone’s life happy and
beautiful.
The pursuit of dharma is not opposed to the pursuit of artha and
kama. Desire for wealth to fulfil one’s valid needs, and efforts to
earn such wealth by righteous means are allowed by dharma.
 Dharma
Dharma is defined as the one which
upholds and regulates (dharayathi ithi
dharma).
Dharma
In a wider sense dharma is a
binding force which upholds and
regulates the entire creation just
as the gravitational force
controls and holds the material
universe as one piece.

It is the divine structure that

defines our roles and
responsibilities, our social and
moral order, our purpose and
goals and the rewards and the
results those are appropriate for
our actions.
What does Dharma
mean?
That which upholds is Dharma. The word is
clearly derived from the root 'Dhr'-which
denotes : 'upholding', 'supporting', 'nourishing'
and 'sustaining'.

In the Karna Parva of the Mahabharata says:

Dharma is for the stability of society, the
maintenance of social order and the general
well-being and progress of humankind.
Whatever helps to the fulfilment of these objects
is Dharma.
 • Whatever creates conflict is
Adharma.
Bhishma says
in his • Whatever puts an end to
instructions to conflict and brings about
unity and harmony is
Yudhishthira Dharma.
about Dharma
and Adharma • Anything that helps to unite
all and develop pure divine
love and universal
brotherhood, is Dharma.

• Anything that creates

Dharma discord, split and
and disharmony and stimulates
hatred, is Adharma.
Adharma • Dharma is the cementer
and sustainer of social life.
 One cannot specify what is
absolutely good or evil for
all men at all times. The
attempts to do so, and to
judge all people by a single
concept of Dharma or
impose upon all a single
idea of righteousness, has
been the cause of much
injustice to humanity.
A soldier unsheathes his
sword to maintain law and
justice, whereas a saint lays
down his own life for the
Relative nature of same purpose.

Dharma
How dharma purifies us &
making fit for liberation?

Pursuit of dharma not only

disciplines a person’s
pursuit of artha and kama,
but also purifies his or her
inner being, thus making it
fit for moksha.
 Purpose of charity?
 The scriptures are aware that the pursuit of wealth by humans can
entangle(trap) them in worldly activity and delay their liberation.

 Hence, they emphasize the importance of cultivating detachment, and

practicing Dharma and dana (charity) while pursuing wealth.

 The Daan(दान) should only be made with the money left over after
fulfilling the requirements of family.

 Daan should not result hardship to donars family or loss of livelihood.

 In general only those who have surplus wealth are required to give.
What
Manusmriti says
about dharma?

Manusmriti says, “Dharma eva

hato hanti / Dharmo rakshati
rakshitah”

(One who destroys Dharma is

destroyed by Dharma / One who
protects Dharma is protected by
Dharma).

If we choose to live a life guided

by the principles of Dharma, then
we are assured of that protection.
Artha Artha is the pursuit of
material wealth, which brings
material comforts to a person.

Artha is valid; money is

essential in the present state
of society.

Voluntary poverty, as
practised by religious
mendicants, is something
quite different; pious
householders provide for the
monks’ few necessities in
recognition of their efforts to
keep alive the highest spiritual
ideal.
Money must be earned But a man of the world
without money is a failure; he
according to Dharma cannot keep body and soul
together.

Furthermore, money is
needed to build hospitals,
schools, museums, and
educational institutions,
which distinguish a civilized
from a primitive society.
But money must be earned
according to Dharma;
otherwise, it dishonors a man
by making him greedy and
cruel.
Wealth earned by Acquiring wealth for the
family and for oneself is
dishonesty not sin but taking what
does not belong to
oneself, is.

The important thing to

remember is not to be
attached to the
possession or
attainment of wealth. It
can be either
transcended or sought
with detachment, and
with awareness.
 Bhagwat puran(भागवत पुराण) 
At one stage, when "Sukhracharya" advices king "Bali" against giving all his wealth away.
He quotes learned people to recommend dividing one's fund into five equal parts.

1. One part should be used for Dharma (daan).

2. Second for Yash (public works, which brings fame to
oneself).
3. Third should be re-invested for generating more wealth.
4. Forth for "Kaam"(काम) or material enjoyment.
5. Fifth for one's family and friends.
 Kama
Kama in a broad sense means desire.
We are expected to fulfill our desires
by performing our obligatory,
essential duties in the right manner
and not by neglecting them.
In Sanatana Dharma there is
provision for that, so long as it is not
in conflict with the principles of
Dharma and used for the family and
social order, within the boundaries
established by tradition, social
norms and scriptures.
Kama has two
aspects.
One is controlled and
beneficial desire.
Another is uncontrolled
or not beneficial desire
can lead to destruction.

It is therefore utmost
important to gain
knowledge on
differentiating between
the aspects and then to
entertain the desires in
a controlled way. 
 • Desires are produced in the mind through thought
process, so we need to be careful and watchful
about our thoughts.
How
• The desire goes on increasing and one desire leads
desires are to another and so on. Like fire to which fuel is
produced? added, KAMA grows more and more with
indulgence are overwhelmed by KAMA, the soul
also gets deluded and the result is deterioration
and destruction.

• Therefore, we should keep KAMA under proper

check and at its desirable level in order to make life
useful and purposeful.

• Amma says let us be content with the minimum

and give the maximum to others.
The greed of some results
in deprivation of others • Generally, most people
seek artha and kama all
the time, without limit,
never satisfied with
what they have. Such is
greed.

• The greed of some

results in deficiency
of others and resulting
in hardship, injustice
and conflict in society.
Proper distribution of It is said that wealth in
society is like blood in
wealth in the society the body.

It must circulate
everywhere. If not, the
starved part gets
diseased and endangers
the whole.

Hence the need for

controlling or
regulating people’s
pursuit of artha and
kama.
Sanatana Dharma advocates
moderation

Sanatana Dharma
advocates
moderation and
balance in the
pursuit of material
and spiritual
goals.
Eternal freedom There is hardly anyone
who does not want to be
from sorrow free from sorrow.

Mukthi however is not

freedom from ordinary
sorrow but from the very
possibility of being
reborn.

Mukthi is an absolute
value. The lower three
values may be regarded
as an instrumental
values.
 Moksha, in Sanskrit,
signifies absolute freedom
Moksha (liberation) from all misery,
and the attainment of
eternal bliss – i.e. pure,
unfragmented happiness
and peace.

Moksha is called Mukti

(freedom) by Yogis ,
Nirvana by Buddhists and
in Christianity moksha is
termed Salvation.
Eternal freedom Moksha
from sorrow. Moksha, in Sanskrit,
signifies absolute
freedom (liberation)
from all misery, and
the attainment of
eternal bliss – i.e.,
pure, unfragmented
happiness and peace.

Eternal freedom from

sorrow.
The more
you pour
the more it
flare up

Man, who in essence is Divine, cannot be permanently satisfied

with worldly experiences.
The enjoyment of desires cannot be satisfied by enjoyment, any
more than fire can be quenched by pouring butter into it; the
more they are fulfilled, the more they flare up.
Man can not attain his
divine stature through……

Nor can man attain his divine stature

through correct social behaviour,
economic security, political success, or
artistic creation.

Charity for the needy may be a

corrective for selfishness but cannot be
the ultimate goal of his soul’s craving.

Even patriotism is not enough: as

history shows, undue emphasis on
patriotism was a major cause of the
downfall of the Greek citystates.
 Inner restlessness
to attain eternal
peace

After fulfilling all his worldly

desires and responsibilities a
man still wants to know how
he can suppress his inner
restlessness and attain
peace.

So, at last, he gives up

attachment to the world and
seeks freedom through the
knowledge of the self.
Dependence on
anything is bondage.

Dependence on anything is
bondage. We, in general, are
dependent on so many things in
life.
For example, a handicap person is
physically dependent, an
unemployed person is economically
dependent, one desiring love and
appreciation from others is
emotionally dependent, one who is
unable to think and decide for
oneself is intellectually dependent,
and the general public is politically
dependent on government.
When we follow Dharma……..

We learn the
limitations of Artha
and Kama, and we get
ready to seek the
highest of all values
-Moksha, which is the
ultimate or supreme
goal of all of us –
paramapurushartha.
When we follow
Dharma, in our
performance of duties
and seek Artha and
Kama in a proper
manner, our minds are
purified. and we learn
that there is
something more to life
than these.
 How charity leads to moksha?

It is difficult to get rid of attachment to wealth, until you practice yoga, overcome your
attachment to your name and form and work for your self-transformation. Spending
your money for the welfare of others, is the beginning step in your practice for
detachment.

Whatever may be your financial status, spend a little portion of that in the service of
others. Charity is purifying. Practice charity. It gradually leads to detachment and inner
cleansing.

If you cannot give away money in charity, use your knowledge, wisdom or physical
energy to help others. You can overcome attachment to things and your selfishness to
some extent by expanding your vision and seeing things from a wider perspective.

These efforts will help you gradually to cultivate right attitude towards material things
in life.
Need for
Satguru to
attain liberation
For most of us, whether we
want to learn to speak,
read, write, play a musical
instrument, learn a trade
or new skill teacher is
essential.

Similarly, in spirituality, the

great ones that have
walked the path before us
and have realized
themselves, are essential to
help us along our paths to
How to know the Supreme Truth?
Gita, Lord Krishna instructs upon Arjuna,
‘If you wish to know the truth of the
Paramatman you must seek such Masters
who have an awareness of it themselves.
Learn from them by surrendering unto
them, by devoted service and by right
questioning. Thus. will you come to know
the Supreme Truth.’
Four Sights in
Buddha’s life
which forced
him to
abandon
royal life
 Story of Asanga
According to Buddhist tradition, Maitreya is a bodhisattva who will appear on Earth in the future, achieve complete enlightenment, and teach the pure dharma. According to
scriptures, Maitreya will be a successor to the present Buddha, Gautama Buddha
Preparatio
n for the
final
journey
while living
Purify the Pancha Kosas: Five Sheaths of a Human
Being
The life of the Buddha
The historical figure known as the Buddha was born a prince in a northern India kingdom around 2,500 years
ago. His name was Siddhartha Gautama. The title ‘Buddha’ means ‘enlightened one’ or ‘one who is awake’.
Siddhartha’s journey from prince to holy man to Buddha is the basis of Buddhism.
Childhood
Siddhartha’s father ruled a small kingdom and his mother was a princess of another clan. He was born into a life of
luxury. At the celebration of his birth, it was predicted that Siddhartha would either become a great king or a great
holy man.
The king wanted his son to inherit the kingdom. Therefore, he decided to prevent Siddhartha from becoming
interested in the life of a holy man and the world outside the palace. The king ordered the young prince to be
protected from all evidence of suffering and imperfection, including sickness, old age and death.
The Four Sights
As he grew, Siddhartha’s curiosity could not be contained. He felt that his life of luxury was empty. At the age of 29,
he persuaded his chariot driver, Channa, to take him out of the palace to the city. There he encountered the Four
Sights:
An old person - Siddhartha had never before seen an old person. He asked his chariot driver, Channa, what he
was looking at. Channa explained that when people get older, they physically decline.
A sick person - when Siddhartha saw an ill person by the side of the road, he was upset as he had never before
seen anyone who was ill. Channa explained that, during their lives, people get ill.
A dead person - the third sight was a dead person being carried. Channa explained that everyone dies eventually.
A holy man (ascetic), who lived a life of self-denial, was the fourth sight. This person made Siddhartha curious,
because the holy man was looking to understand truth.
Namah Shivaya