It is unfortunate that today in our fast paced life; various means to survive in the competition are confused as Goals of life. Whether it is our work place or home, we are so engaged in our predictive rituals of daily routine, in achieving our short term goals that we hardly have any time to stop and introspect about our real goals of life, and things like material achievements at work place have become our goals. We forget that these are actually means but not goals, means to survive, sustain and achieve our real goals.
Animals also live life, enjoy life and fight to survive in race of life. Following four things are common in animal and human life:-
Bhaya (Fear)
Nidra (Sleep)
Ahaar (Food)
Maithun (Mating)
As human body is much more refined and designed in such a way that it can act as a channel for the flow of cosmic energy and direct realisation of Supreme Brahman (Divinity). Human life has much more higher goal than just coping up with four things mentioned above. The Goal to realise GOD, the goal to be free from all bondages of worldly life , the goal to be free from fear, anger, ego, attachment and all other negative emotions which bring down the quality of life – spiritual life.
Man should not just learn to live a human life but should aspire to live THE SPIRITUAL LIFE. A Life with valid and actual goals. We call these goals as PURUSHARTHA and are as follows:-
- Dharma (Righteousness)
- Arth (Wealth Management)
- Kama (Desires)
- Moksha (Salvation – Self Realisation)
Out of the above four – salvation is the Param Purushartha (Ultimate Goal) of human life as every soul in this cosmos is a part of GOD and is bound to unite with his almighty as ONE. We all are having infinite powers and capabilities as we all are the manifestations of GOD (Divine Mother) but we do not realise the same because of our limitations of mind, clouded with negative emotions. Moksha is getting rid of these emotions and realising the concept of “Aham Brahmasmi” .{we are the Brahman (Divine Power)}.
Dharma is called Pradhan Purushartha (Primary Goal) as it plays a major role in living spiritual life with righteousness and helps us in sticking to the path of Divinity. It gives us strength to withstand all kinds of pressures of life and still striving for the Ultimate Goal of self realisation.
Artha and Kama are just the Instrumental Goals as they play a major role in coping up with day to day worldly affairs and help us in achieving the other two Primary and Ultimate Goals of Life. Artha is to generate wealth and prosperity through right and valid means. Whereas Kama is to enjoy regulated sensual pleasure, where gradual liberation from sensual desires is preferred over oppression of same.