Artha ( ???? ) is one of the four purposes of human life in Indian philosophy. The word artha is literally translated as "meaning, reason, purpose, purpose or essence" depending on the context. Artha is also a wider concept in the Hindu scriptures. As a concept, it has many meanings, all of which imply the "means of life", activity and resources that enable one to be in the desired state.
Artha applies to individuals and governments. In an individual context, artha includes wealth, career, livelihood activities, financial security and economic prosperity. The proper pursuit of artha is considered an important goal of human life in Hinduism. At the governmental level, artha covers social, legal, economic, and worldly affairs. The right Arthashastra is considered an important and necessary governmental goal.
In the Hindu tradition, Artha is connected to three other aspects and purposes of human life: Dharma (virtuous, righteous moral life), Kama (pleasure, sensuality, emotional satisfaction) and Moksha (liberation, release, self-actualization). Together, these four non-exclusive life goals are called Puru rtha.
Video Artha
Definition and meaning
Artha as a concept includes many meanings. It is difficult to capture the meaning of artha, or related terms dharma , kama and moksha , each in one English word.
John Lochtefeld describes artha as a means of life, and includes material prosperity. Karl Potter describes it as an attitude and ability that allows one to earn a living, to stay alive, to develop as a free person. This includes economic prosperity, security and personal health and those who feel responsible for. Artha includes everything in one's environment that enables one to live. It is not a final state or an endless goal to raise money without pay, Karl Potter claims, but this is the attitude and need that humanity needs. John Koller takes a different perspective from Karl Potter's interpretation. John Koller states that artha is not an attitude, but is one of the necessities of human life. The main premise of Hindu philosophy, Koller claims, is that everyone should live happily and happily, that the life that meets the needs and desires of everyone is recognized and fulfilled, that need can only be met through activity and when sufficient means for such activity are available. Artha, then, is best described as a pursuit of activities and tools necessary for a pleasant and enjoyable life.
Krishna's power argues that artha , as well as the concept of Puru rthas, is a myth. Ancient Sanskrit streams and texts do not give consensus opinions, says Krishna, they present the debate, the diversity of views on what artha and Puru rtha mean. Inconsistent and contradictory verses even exist in the same text, such as Manusmriti. Some ancient Indian texts suggest artha is a tool that allows the satisfaction of desire; Some include wealth, some including power, and some like the Bhakti school including instruments to love God. Some of these, showing Krishna, reflect differences in human needs. Perhaps, the alleged Krishna, artha is only part of kama and karma.
Vatsyayana in Kama Sutra defines artha as the acquisition of art, land, livestock, wealth, equipment and friends. He explains, artha also protects what has been obtained, and what improvements are protected.
Gavin Flood describes artha as "worldly success" without violating dharma (moral responsibility), kama (love) and one's journey towards moksha (spiritual liberation). Floods explain that artha in ancient Hindu literature, as well as purushartha, is better understood as the goal of Man (not human). In other words, this is one of the four purposes of human life. The survival and development of man requires artha - that is, economic activity, wealth and creation, worldly success, profit, political success and all that is necessary for human existence.
Maps Artha
History
The word Artha appears in the oldest scriptures in India. This term, however, implies the 'purpose', purpose or 'purpose' of something, often as a goal of ritual sacrifice. Over time, artha developed into a broader concept in the Upanishad era. This was first included as part of the concept of Trivarga (three categories of human life - dharma, artha and kama), which from time to time extended to the concept of Caturvarga (four categories, including moksha). Caturvarga also called as Puru ?? rtha.
The Mimamsa Hinduism School explains artha, dharma and kama by distinguishing Puru'rtha and Kratvartha. Puru ?? rtha is the human goal of the yajna, while Kratvartha is the sacrificial goal of the yajna. They acknowledge and explain all human actions have two effects: first, every action affects itself apart from the actors involved; second, every action has human meaning, hope, and desire and affects every actor personally. Jaimini explained in the 3rd century BCE that this human meaning can not be separated from human destiny. The phala (the fruit, the result) of sacrifice is implied in artha (meaning, purpose) sacrifice. The Mimamsa school then argues that man is for the purpose of action demanded by the Vedic command (apauruseya), and subordinated like man to ritual allows man to reach heaven. Other Hindu schools, such as Yoga and Vedanta schools, disagree with Mimamsa school. They argue that ritual and sacrifice are means, not goals. Their emphasis shifts from ritual to effort and knowledge, from heaven to moksha, from freedom to life to freedom in this life, from the human being as a gear wheel in the cosmic wheel to man as an end in itself. For example, Aitareya Aranyaka reads:
After that came the flowering of literary Shastra on Artha and other human destinations: dharma in Dharmashastras, artha in Arthashastras, from kama in Kamashastras (Kamasutra being one part of the summary). Various schools of Hinduism offer different perspectives on arthas, such as dharma, karma and moksha. Much of the ancient Indian historical literature from about the 5th century BC and thereafter, bridges all four human purposes. Many Upanishads as well as two Indian Epics - Ramayana and Mahabharata - discuss and use the words dharma, artha, kama and moksha as part of their respective themes. Even the subhasitas, gnomik and the didactic Indian literature of the 1st and 2nd millenniums, incorporate artha and three other human life goals.
Relative priority between Artha, Kama and Dharma
Ancient Indian literature emphasizes that dharma is the most important. If dharma is ignored, artha and kama - their own advantages and pleasures - leads to social chaos. Dharmashastra Gautama, Apastamba Dharmasutra and Y? JÃÆ' Â ± avalkya Sm? Ti, for example, all show that dharma comes first and is more important than artha and kama.
Vatsyayana, the author of Kamasutra, recognizes the relative value of three purposes as follows: artha is more important and must precede kama, while dharma is more important and must precede both kama and artha. Arthashastra Kautiliya, however, argues that artha is the foundation for the other two. Without prosperity and security in society or on an individual level, moral life and sensuality are difficult. Poverty breeds evil and hatred, while prosperity gives birth to virtue and love, says Kautiliya. Kautilya adds that all three are connected, and one should not stop enjoying life, not virtuous behavior, or pursuing wealth creation. The excessive pursuit of one aspect of life with total rejection of the other two, harms all three of those including those that are too pursued.
Some ancient Indian literature observes that the relative priorities of artha, kama and dharma are naturally different for different people and different age groups. In infants or children, education and kama take precedence; in youth kama and artha is preferred; while in old age dharma takes precedence.
The Epics like the Mahabharata debate the relative precedence of dharma, artha, kama and moksha, through different characters in Book 12, Book of Peace. Rishi Vidura says dharma should be the highest priority. Arjuna claims without profit and prosperity (artha), the ability of people to dharma and kama is falling apart. Bhima claiming pleasure and sex (kama) is the main, because without this there is no dharma, artha or moksha. Yudhishthira asserted that dharma should always lead one, including in terms of artha and kama, but then recognize balancing dharma, artha and kama are often confusing and difficult. In another book, the Mahabharata shows that morality, profit and pleasure - dharma, artha and kama - all three must walk together for happiness:
Morality is practiced well by good. Morality, however, is always beset by two things, the wishes of the Profit entertained by those who desire it, and the desire for Pleasure is rewarded by those who embrace it. Anyone without crippling Morality and Profit, or Morality and Pleasure, or Pleasure and Profit, following up all three - Morality, Fortune and Pleasure - always manage to gain great happiness.
Contemporary relevance
Gavin Flood suggests concepts embedded in purushartha, which include the artha, reflecting deep understanding and insight into human nature, and the conflicts that all human beings face. It is an attempt to acknowledge and encourage one to understand diversity but to seek coherence among people, rather than denying one or more aspects of human life or imposing a doctrine and a particular code on people.
Donald Davis points out that artha , kama and dharma is a widely applicable human goal, which goes beyond Hindu studies. They are the Indian perspective on the nature of human life, the perspective shared in Jain and Buddhist literature.
See also
- Dharma
- Kama
- Moksha
- Purushartha
- Arthashastra
- Karma
- Chaitanya Charitamrita
References
External links
- Artha in various Hindu books
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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