PURUSARTHA

Human life is precious. This life's form is evolved after several births, rebirths, and elevation processes through dharma-driven action, or Nishkam Karma (selfless or desireless action). A human being in this rarely gifted life form should always strive for higher elevation through the Dharma embedded right object of life pursuit. The object of life pursuit or the object of human pursuit or the aim of life in Sanātana Dharma is Puruṣārtha (Sanskrit: पुरुषार्थ).

Purusha means "primeval human being as the soul and original source of the universe." Artha in one context means "purpose", "object of desire," and "meaning." Together, Purusārtha literally means "purpose of human being" or "object of human pursuit."

The Purusārthas or aims, of human life or the object of life pursuits are "Dharma (righteousness, or ways of life), Artha (prosperity, economic values), Kāma (pleasure, love, psychological values), and Moksha (liberation, spiritual values)."

  All four aims of human life are equally important for the object of life. However, in cases of triage, the Dharma-embedded action will always be primus inter pares.

1. Outline

The concept of Purusārthas is intrinsic to the philosophy of Sanātana Dharma (eternal ways, or righteousness). Sanātana Dharma, being transcendental, refers to universal and axiomatic laws that are beyond our temporary belief systems.

In Sanātana Dharma, human life is precious and evolves after several births and rebirths. The pursuit in every birth to be based on Dharma embedded life pursuit.

Our ancient scriptures and the sayings of the sages are ingrained with the concept of rebirth.

In the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, there are several observations on the concept of rebirth.

vāsānsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya

navāni gṛihṇāti naro ’parāṇi

tathā śharīrāṇi vihāya jīrṇānya

nyāni sanyāti navāni dehī

 Sri Krishna said: As a person sheds worn-out garments and wears new ones, likewise, at the time of death, the soul casts off its worn-out body and enters a new one.

dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā

tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati

Sri Krishna declares that just as the embodied soul continuously passes from childhood to youth to old age, similarly, at the time of death, the soul passes into another body. The wise are not deluded by this.

 bahuni me vyatītāni janmāni tava chārjuna

tānyahaṁ veda sarvāṇi na tvaṁ vettha parantapa

Sri Krishna says to Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita that both you and I have had many births, but you have forgotten them while I remember them..

2. Remarks

Birth and rebirth, coupled with elevation and demotion, are intrinsic to the life process.

Dharma-driven action or Nishkam Karma is for elevation in the life processes.

 There are eight kinds of people observed in the Srimad Bhagavat Gita. Of the eight types, four are under delusion and remain away from the elevation process, and four others are under the habit of surrender to God and are always in the elevation process.

The first four are under delusion:

i. The Ignorant: People who lack spiritual knowledge and do not know anything about the soul being eternal or that its ultimate goal is God-realization.

ii. The lazy: These are the ones who have the knowledge and awareness of what they need to do but, due to their lazy nature, do not want to take any initiative to surrender.

iii. Deluded intellects: People who are so proud of their intellects that they have no faith in the scriptures and the teachings of the saints. Because they do not have faith, they are unable to practice surrender or understand the concepts of God-realization.

iv. Demonic Nature: It is because of their demonic nature; they do not like God and His glories. They themselves are far from devotion and try to disturb others who are on the path of spirituality.

All these are observed in the Srimad Bhagavat Gita.

na māṁ duṣhkṛitino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ

māyayāpahṛita-jñānā āsuraṁ bhāvam āśhritāḥ

Four kinds of people do not surrender unto Me, those ignorant of knowledge, those who lazily follow their lower nature though capable of knowing Me, those with deluded intellect, and those with a demoniac nature.

The second four are in the nature of surrender to God:

i. The distressed: Those who find that their pot of worldly miseries is overflowing, and they are unable to cope with them or worldly supports fail to protect them conclude that it is futile running after the world. Thus, decide to take shelter in God.

ii. The knowledge seekers: There are some people who have heard about the opulence of God and His spiritual realm. Thus, they are curious to know all about God and try to seek Him through knowledge.

iii. The seekers of worldly possessions: Some people are clear about what they want and take shelter in God because they are convinced that only God can provide what they are seeking. King Dhruv is an apt example. When Dhruv was a small boy, he felt neglected by his father, King Uttanapada. Disheartened, he went into the forest and did penance to please God. He wanted to become more powerful than his father. But as his devotion grew, he realised that God possessed the priceless jewel of divine love, and what he was seeking was like broken pieces of glass. Therefore, when pleased with his devotion, God gave him darshan, which he requested the Lord bestow upon him: selfless, pure love.

iv. Those situated in knowledge: Lastly, those souls who have understood the truth that they are tiny parts of God. Such people engage in devotion with the intent that it is their eternal duty to love and serve Him. Sri Krishna calls them the fourth kind of devotees.

chatur-vidha bhajante māṁ janāḥ sukṛitino ’rjuna

ārto jijñāsur arthārthī jñānī cha bharatarṣhabha

Sri Krishna explains in the Bhagavad Gita that four kinds of pious people engage in My devotion: the distressed, the seekers of knowledge, the seekers of worldly possessions, and those who are situated in knowledge.

A person needs to be imbibed by Karma Yoga (duty), Dhyāna Yoga (meditation), Jñāna Yoga (knowledge), and Bhakti Yoga (devotion) for elevation in the self-realization process. The self-realisation process is the realisation of the Self. It moves from the lower self to the higher Self, the realisation of divine consciousness. Self-realisation is an intrinsic part of elevating experiences. Dharma embedded life pursuit should be the foremost goal of life.

 It is well observed in the Srimad Bhagavat Gita.

bahūnām janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate

vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ

Sri Krishna said: After many births of spiritual practice, one who is endowed with knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be all that is. Such a great soul is indeed rare.

-Asutosh Satpathy