You are here: SriPedia - SriRangaSri - Archives - Dec 2005

SriRangaSri List Archive: Message 00086 Dec 2005

 
Dec 2005 Indexes ( Date | Thread | Author )
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]


               The 4 ?pUrUshArthA-s? of Vedanta
               -------------------------------- 

The Vedantic texts describe 4 principal
?pUrUshArthAs?. They are ?dharma?, ?artha?, ?kAma? and
?mOksha? and they are the goals most desired in life
by mankind. In Tamil they are known as ?aram?,
?porUL?, ?inbam? and ?veedu? respectively. Whatever
may be their endeavors in life, whatever it is for
which they strive and struggle all their lives, the
rewards that men of this world expect to reap all fall
under either one or more of these 4 categories of
?pUrUshArthA?.  

Masters of all the major Vedanta traditions, the gurus
and ?AchAryAs? of both past and present generations,
have discoursed upon the 4 ?pUrUshArthA-s? at very
great length indeed. It is not necessary for the
purpose of this essay to go into that discourse. It is
enough to know for now that, principally, the concept
of ?pUrUshArthA? signifies that every man, who wishes
to make his life count for something worthy in the
end, ceaselessly strives through ethical means and
practices (?dharma?) to earn as much material gain
(?artha?) during his earthly journey as will afford
him sufficient fulfillment of desires (?kAma?) of this
life, in preparation for him to later receive the
greatest Self-fulfillment that awaits him in the life
hereafter --- that which is called ?mOksha? or
?veedu?.

                  ************

The Vedantic conception of human life is a very
sophisticated one indeed. It is born out of
penetrating insight into human psychology. Vedanta
recognizes human life to be a spiritual process of
relentless search: Search for existential meaning and
self-fulfillment. This process of search is fuelled
and driven forward by primal human motivations
manifesting themselves in 4 principal forms viz.: 

(a) the search for Material Well-being (i.e. ?artha?)

(b) the search for Pleasure (i.e. ?kaama?)i.e.
gratification of a variety of individual desires, 

(c) the search for social acceptance and recognition;
in other words, the natural human tendency ?to do good
unto others? and ?to deny evil?; the drive which makes
one want to willingly contribute to causes in life
that are much larger and nobler than the individual?s
own (i.e. ?dharma?); and finally, 

(d) the search to actualize one?s inner self; to
realize the silent aspiration that throbs deep within
every man?s heart to be able to somehow transcend and
escape the confines of his narrow and selfish self and
to melt away or merge into an infinitely more natural
and expansive plane of cosmic experience that is both
liberating and eternal (i.e. ?mOksha? or ?veedu?).    
    

                 ************
                   (to be continued)

Regards,
dAsan,
Sudarshan 

Send instant messages to your online friends http://in.messenger.yahoo.com 




------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> 
Join modern day disciples reach the disfigured and poor with hope and healing
http://us.click.yahoo.com/lMct6A/Vp3LAA/i1hLAA/VkWolB/TM
--------------------------------------------------------------------~-> 

 
Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SriRangaSri/

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
    SriRangaSri-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
    http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
 




[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index ] [Thread Index ] [Author Index ]
Home Page
http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia
srirangasri-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To subscribe to the list