Satyam Roy
Volume-XI, Issue-III, April 2023
Volume-XI, Issue-III, April 2023 | ||
Published Online: 30.04.2023 | Page No: 112-118 | |||
Puruṣartha: The way of life Satyam Roy, Research Scholar, Department of Philosophy, The University of Burdwan, Burdwan, West Bengal, India & State Aided College Teacher, Vivekananda Mahavidyalaya, Burdwan, West Bengal, India | |
The doctrine of ‘Puruṣārtha’ has played an important role in Indian philosophy. The term
‘Puruṣārtha’ literally means the end or goal to be aimed at or desired by man or
‘Puruṣārtha’ literally signifies ‘what is sought by man.’ So that it may be taken as
equivalent to a human end or purpose. It may also be taken to mean the end or goal that is
actually aimed at or desired by men. Human life is meaningless without any purpose, all
human needs to have a purpose in life towards which our actions can be directed. The
theory of Puruṣārtha determines the values according to which human actions are to be
performed or avoided. According to Indian ethical thought, the Puruṣārthas are four viz.,
Dharma (duty), Artha (wealth/ prosperity), Kāma (pleasure) and Mokṣa (liberation). | |
Keywords: Puruṣārtha, Dharma, Artha, Kāma, Mokṣa, Ethics |