Their Relative Importance
Manu discusses the question, which of the three or whether all the three should be the
objectives of life. After referring to the opinion of some that Dharma and Artha are the
only good in life and to that of others that Artha and Kama are the highest good and of
some others that Artha is the sole aim of life and of still others that Dharma is the only
good, he concludes that virtue, wealth and desire form combinedly the good in life. (Manu
2, sloka 224)In the Ramayana, Ayodhya Kanda,
Kacchit Sarga, one ,of the questions put by Rama to Bharata is as follows: - Do you
work for all the three, Artha, Dharma and Kama, after dividing your time among the three
appropriately? " This idea proceeds
on the principle that all the three purusharthas are essential and they together
comprehend the aspiration of the integrated personality of man. In the Mahabharata, Santi
parva Apad Dharma portion, Adhyaya 146, Vyasa gives a very interesting account of a
discussion between the five Pandava brothers and Vidura as regards the relative importance
of the four purusharthas. |
