The Purusharthas are the goals of earthly life. It is towards these ends that any noble society strives. They are four in number:
1. Dharma or Duty: This is the state in which one’s actions, serving the good of all, are in accordance with one’s own nature. Thus, to practice Dharma is to establish congruence and harmony between one’s inner and outer life.
- Swami Dayanand on Dharma: "The practice of equitable justice together with that of truthfulness in word, deed and thought and the like (virtues) - in a word, that which is in conformity with the Will of God, as embodied in the Vedas - even that I call Dharma (righteousness). But the practice of that which is not free from partiality and injustice as well as of untruthfulness in word, deed and thought, - in a word, that which is opposed to the Will of God, as embodied in the Vedas - even that I term Adharma (unrighteousness)." (Satyarth Prakash 726)
Dharma is the fundament of the Purusharthas, for without it, none of the others can be attained with righteousness. And a good attained without righteousness is paramount to a positive evil.
2. Artha or Wealth: This is the attainment of wealth in any form (material or spiritual) through righteous means and the avoidance of goods gained through ignoble means.
- Swami Dayanand on Artha: "Righteously acquired wealth alone constitutes Artha, while that which is acquired by foul means is called Anarth." (Satyarth Prakash 728)
3. Kaama or Enjoyment: This is the attainment of satisfaction of one’s noble and righteous desires and the pleasure derived thereof.
- Swami Dayanand on Kaama: "The enjoyment of legitimate desires with the help of honestly-acquired wealth (Artha) constitutes Kaama." (Satyarth Prakash 728)
4. Moksha or Salvation: This is the attainment of freedom from the bonds of ignorance and its result, pain.
- Swami Dayanand on Moksha: "The emancipation of the soul from pain and suffering of every description and a subsequent career of freedom in the All-pervading God and His immense Creation for a fixed period of time and its resumption of earthly life after the expiration of that period constitute Moksha or salvation. The means of salvation are the worship of God, i.e., the practice of yoga, the performance of righteous deeds, the acquisition of true knowledge by the practice of Brahmacharya, the society of the wise and the learned, love of true knowledge, purity of thought, a life of activity and so on." (Satyarth Prakash 727)
Just as Dharma is the foundation of the Purusharthas, so, too, is Moksha the pinnacle of the same. To attain Moksha is to reach life‘s ultimate goal, which goes beyond even the bounds of earthly life, and leads one into a state of unbroken communion (Upaasanaa) with God.
It is important to note that Vedic Wisdom does not entail a life of mendicancy or severity. As long as one follows the dictates of Dharma, one is encouraged to enjoy the good things of this earthly life. God, in His Infinite Wisdom, has seen it fit to grant us the ability to experience great happiness and pleasure while on this earth, and we are encouraged to seek it out through righteous means.