Indian society is one of the oldest in the world. Cohabitation, society structure, means of living, conducting of business, being with nature, physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing, and all and everything about man and his purpose of life on earth are being meditated on, understood truly and the essence was passdown to generations, to explore and to understand and to experience and to improvise. The principles, the ideas, the rules, the regulations the values carry the same set of basics and roots for a balanced public and private life of all individuals.
These Purushardhas, are handed down over centuries for a man or a woman to conduct their life meaningfully in the society. Purusha = man, ardha = meaning > purushardha means meaningful man or perhaps essences that makes a man's existence meaningful.
The first is Dharmam. Conduct. About life in general in the form of physical body. A set of rules defining One's conduct towards himself/herself, society, relations, nature, ancestors, future, God, universe. . . . These rules keeps a man on track to reach his end days without regrets. Gives perspective to his life. Sages, gurus, preachers, elders and all are even today still defining and refining the code of conduct trying to make sense in changing times. Its a single tree of Sanatana dharmam - a way of life. Same roots. However, its leaves, branches, flowers, fruits, fragrance and aura are many varieties and kinds and types that someone coming under it to explore will be confused and may become judgmental.
Ramayana, MahaBharata, Bhagavata, puranas, vedas, etihasas all about Dharmam. The stories, the characters, the timelines . . all have hidden sutras that one lifetime is not enough to understand the true meaning of one line in one book. This one aspect touches base with all the other three. Gives a hint of the other three.
Ardham is the second and in modern times the most important. Deals with money, wealth, power. These set of rules preach about everything materialistic in this world. The worldly possessions and their aura with a power to bind a soul for eternity. Kautilya's Ardha sastra is one of the well known and somehow defined Ardham according to the purushardha theme. Wealth can bring in power, friends, momentary satisfaction, happiness etc. However, knowingly managing it, cautiously escaping it's tentacles to save sanity, and understanding its enormous power over man is what one has to learn, understand and master in one's life. Managing wealth according to Dharma, the first principle of life is a man's ultimate goal.
Kamam is the third and most important principle in a man's life. Kamam is defined simply as wish. A wish. It can be physical like food, sleep, sex, relaxation, ornaments, decoratives or psychological like fulfillment, satisfaction or spiritual like attaining nirvana, achieving moksha. After repeated foreign invasions, developing hybridized philosophies because of alien ideologies, the simple word kamam got stuck with physical attribution - sex. The learned became busy with the thoughts of finding ways for cultural survival and religious integrity that defining one principle and reviving true meaning of it seemed trivial.
Vatsayana, one sage in the entire history of Sanatana Dharma, made an attempt to define and state rules for this most important dharmam in a man's life. Unfortunately, under western rule culture and ideologies, the book was made a x-rated barbaric uncultured erotic manifestation of human physical desires. Sadly, nobody gave a thought on why Vatsayana, a sage, an atheist, a man who in his entire life never touched a woman or man or entertained thoughts of physical pleasure, wrote a book on Kamam? Did he talked only about intercourse between two bodies? What is it that Vatsayana's entire book of KamaSutra (Principles of Desire) talk about? What are the principles and rules that were studied and given to a man to follow to fulfill his desires? Time to step back and revisit the book, the times, the philosophy of Kamam in the lines of Sanatana Dharmam.
Mokham, the final and last principle for a man. In his life, he followed dharmam, conducted his life as per the set of rules given to him by society. He has good relationship with neighbours, family, friends, colleagues, society, nature, elders, youngsters, lovers, partners, . . . . , His Ardham was earned following dharmam. Very rightfully. No cheating, no fraud, no lies. Everything is pure. He fulfilled his kamam through fulfilling dreams, wishes, physical, psychological, and now he earned his right to step into Mokha sadhana.
At this stage, his body, completely satisfied, his mind, free of disturbing thoughts, are now ready to focus within undefined unexplored subconscious mind to understand his existence in this universe. This is where he will get a chance to practice meditation that he has been hearing. This is where he will get complete satisfaction which he had a chance to experience during his pleasure journey without any external influence. This is his final place to understand the meaning or meaningless journey he had all the time time till then.
