INDIAN VALUE SYSTEM (Purusartha) To understand any culture, we first look for its value system.

The value system signifies the motives and ends of the culture, which have been described and conceived as ultimate and paramount by their wisest men. Thus, the highest principles and wisdom of any culture happens to be preserved in the form of its value system. From the very ancient times in India, Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksa1 have been considered as values, and formed its essential value system. These concepts, later considered, under the notion of Purusartha, and various philosophical systems, placed them in their foremost inquiry2. Therefore, in this paper, I have attempted to present the schematic structure and analysis of dharma, artha, kama and moksa viz. purusartha as Indian value system. The word 'purusartha' literally combined of two words 'purusa' and 'artha', which is understood in two ways: (1) 'Purusanam artha purusartha' means, 'what is the meaning of purusa that is purusartha' or that after getting which, purusa achieves its real meaning. (2) 'Purusaih arthyate iti purusartha' means, 'desired by purusa', therefore it is purusartha. With the above interpretation, variety of meanings get associated with the purusartha, which are found in Hindu Religio-Philosophical texts. These range from, 'motivations of human activities, human ends, individual urges, human needs, desire to be satisfied or ingredients of experience conducive to human fulfillments. In fact, the notion of purusartha is tinged with all these meanings. However, the most general definition accepted by modern thinkers is purusartha as 'human values consciously persued by man'3. In fact the ingredients of purusartha viz. dharma, artha, kama and moksa are conceived on the complex personality of man which seeks its fulfillment through four outlets or broad major areas, these are his social aims (dharma), his craving for power and material things (artha), sensuous and aesthetic enjoyment (kama) and his spiritual impulse (moksa). Each of these areas has been the subject matter of ample discussion in ancient Indian literature. Special treatment and study of these acknowledged as Sastra. These Sastra (in the form of systematic study of tradition) are known as Dharmasastra, Arthasastra, Kamasastra and Moksasastra, but here is not the space to discuss in detail each of them; rather we shall discuss to them briefly, viz. artha, kama, dharma and moksa. 'Arthyate pratheyate iti artha', literally, means through with result (Phal) is desired. Kamasutrakar 4 has given a fairly large list of arthas as "Vidya, bhumi, gold, household utensils, friends...." while Arthasastrakar

Kautilya5 describes 'Bhumi' or land as artha with the reason that all the things cultivated or coming from the land are also the basis of a State. Vaman Rao Apte in his Sanskrit Dictionary, enumerated seventeen meanings associated with the word 'artha', However in the scheme of purushartha theory the meaning that lies in 'artha' is instrumentality and this instrumentality is for use. Therefore artha is hereas instrumental value or mean value. This value is 'useful' for attaining some desires or purposes. This leads to the next purusartha i.e., Kama. The Mahabharata describes Kama as "sense organs with mind & heart when associated with their respective subject then from their contact, the pleasure, physical & mental is experienced is Kama. Vatsayayana in Kamasutra has given two definition of Kama, first similar to above telling it as samanya Kama6, and second definition as sensuous and sexual pleasure, specifically kama or visesakama. Thus the kama could be said as representing as sexual pleasure, procreative urge, man's appetites, aesthetic enjoyment and all the pleasures derived from mental faculty. However, in general the very first meaning associated with kama is 'to desire', as we look in to Sanskrit origination as - 'Kamyate iti kama'. As a matter of fact this lies in the root of any activity. Even it has been understood as the first cause of creation.7 Desire is a prime psychological fact. We desire for things, but only desire can not produce result or object; for this we require to have a kind of mean to fulfill or actualize it and here the relation of artha and kama becomes evident. Artha plays the role to satisfy the desire and this is its instrumentality, usefulness and arthattva of artha. Further question comes, the fulfillment of kama purusartha for the sake of itself? or do we seek any other ends through it? At the first sight its answer is 'no' because satisfaction of desire could be an end in itself. Therefore, kama in this way is considered as an end value. But there are some problems associated with the kama purusartha, for example, one may think to fulfil that desire or that kama, which is against the welfare of others, for example, one person may desire another person to be his servent forever. So under the realm of kama the nature of desire or kamana can be infinite and even against the person itself because the kama as delirious cupidity when pursued with single devotion makes the agent headless to profit and pain and at the peak of it the agent loses all the sense of proportions and balance. Therefore, here comes the need for the higher guiding principles, which can obviate and adjudicate the conflict among the desires or we can say as which can guide or regulate the kama. For the purpose of this, Indian thinkers conceived dharma. Dharma, in its very early meaning is equated to rta which in the form of natural law, is the maintenance of the order (Ethical order) of Universe. Dharma, etymologically, derived from the root, 'dhr', means, 'to uphold', 'to sustain' as in 'dharati dharyati dharma'. Dharma comes as the second most important concept in Hindu literature, after the concept of Reality. It is also an omnibus term which

probably does not have any translation in English. Various meanings have been associated with dharma, with the progress of Indian civilization. Some of these are rita, yajna, satya, a characteristic, property, law, social code, conduct, morality, merits, virtues, rituals, and duty.8 What is unanimously accepted by modern interpreters of dharma that, among these meanings, the meaning 'duty' is found associated with dharma, since the very beginning of its use in literature and this meaning is central to the concept of dharma. Therefore, dharma consists of all meanings which are important and essential for sustenance and maintenance of mankind and Universe. In this way, the dharma has been defined as Sadharana dharma, Varna dharma, Asaram dharma, Kula dharma, Desha dharma, Jati dharma, Apad dharma and Yuga dharma. Definitely, these are the dharmas which have been advocated profusely in Dharmasastras and Smrtis for regulation. Hence, in the purusartha scheme the role of dharma is also a guiding principle, a regulating authority. Almost all the places in Sastras, it is equivocally stated that through the dharma, artha and kama become real value i.e. real artha and real kama otherwise become disvalue and get condemned. Therefore, it is priscribed in Sastras to pursue only those artha and kama which are aligned or not opposed to the rules of dharma. Thus, the society, with the samyak or right kama, right artha and abiding by the regulation of dharma is bound to flourish. Therefore these three purusarthas are also considered as sufficient with regard to social life of a person. But the Indian thinking does not stop at here, as it seeks to attain the highest goal. This has been described as moksa. But the very question is, can there be any higher goal? and if it exists, then what is its basis?'. We can see this problem from two angles are, how do we reach to the concept of moksa and two, what prompted Indian mind to include moksa as purusartha? In fact this is a very broad issue. Perhaps we can enter in its discussion through the very etymological meaning of moksa, which is derived from the root 'muc' which means 'to release', 'to release from the bondage and all sufferings' (Mucyate sarvairdukhairbandhanairtra moksa) Thus the very basis of moksa purusartha lies the concept of dukha or sufferings.9 It can also be asserted at this point, that all the Indian philosophical system, theistic, non-theistic whatsoever they are, they may vary about the nature of moksa, nature of final stage of moksa, about the way to attain the moksa, but they approximately unanimous about the 'sufferings' in life and its complete cessation in the state of moksa. However the sorrow is stressed and moksa is applauded in Indian philosophy, again I come to former question as how do we reach to the concept of moksa and I start with the example of the Buddha. It is well known that the Buddha (prince Siddhartha on his one day journey, outside from the palace, with his coachman, saw old age, disease, suffering and death and he was so moved by these that he renounced palace, in search for their real causes and eradication of them, which he later declared them as in 'Bhava chakra' and nirvana subsequently. But one thing is worth of observation as the

very coachman, who was also the observer or sakshi, with the prince Siddhartha of those events did not left the home, why? One answer may be as, at one level of consciousness or one level of satisfaction or dissatisfaction one finds little interest in worldly affairs and then question looms what is next? What is higher reality? the above view is also affirmed, as in 'Vanparva' of Mahabharat, it comes as: "When viseya sukha (Pleasure derived from worldly affairs) seems to be trivial and renunciation (tyaga) of them seems only sreyas, then one should enter the samnyasa asrama, whose fundamental aim is, moksa purusartha. - (Vanparva. 91.6) The above argument perhaps much related to the practical approach to moksa. However, in Indian philosophical systems, attainment of moksa, has been stated as attainment of man's true nature or as attainment of ultimate reality, specifically in Vedanta tradition, where very nature of reality is Brahman which is also the true nature of self or atman. This true nature by Maya, not experience in its real sense. I would like to code here the very definition of moksa given by acharya Sankara in the commentry of Brahmasutra as Idam tu paramarthikam kutusth nityam vyom vat sarvavyapi sarvavikriya rahitm nitya trptam niravayavam svayamjyoti svabhavajam yatra dharma-dharmau sahakaryena kaltrayam ca nopavartate tat etat asarirtatvam moksakhyam. (Sankar Bhasya I.1.4) the very definition described here as the characteristic of moksa, are equivalent to that of Brahaman. According to this, in fact, to realize Brahman is to become Brahman. However different philosophical systems have defined moksa differently. Jaina believes it as the stage of infinite knowledge; in Buddhism as nirvana, cessation of all suffering, stopping the Bhava chakra; Nyaya Vaisaisika as a state, which is devoid of all feelings, including consciousness; Yoga as cessasion of citta-vrtti; Dualistic Samkhya as devoid state of Purusa from the amplitude of Prakrti and as pure consciousness state which is very nature of purusa but believed in multiplicity in their number, which in lack of any ordering principle becomes untenable. Ramanuja and other theistic systems describe it as the best possible communion with God, while Bhaghvada Gita, explains it as the equanimity of mind in the form of Sthitiprajna. Now we come to the relation among the purusartha as : means and ends value or preyas and sreyas values. It is clear from the above discussion that in the scheme of purusarthas i.e. among dharma, artha, kama and moksa, the artha purusartha with its instrumentality and usefulness stands for the mean value. This is a mean to fulfil that of kama. Kama does not signify in its fulfillment to the other value, therefore it is an end value. A natural inclination is found in man towards kama and artha both. They are dear (Preyas) to man naturally, therefore, these can be categorized as preyas value. While dharma containing the element of prescription and obligation is a social value. It functions as betterment of artha and kama, and welfare for men, therfore it is

Sreyas value. Dharma may be construe as the mean value for the moksa as it could be seen that some of the descipline for obtaining moksa are also dharmic disciplines like yama, niyam of Yoga and sadhan catustaya of Advaitvedanta. While moksa is 'the end' value or Nihsreyas value. 'Nasti sreyan yasmat sa nihsreyasam'. Now we come to the gradation of these values or order for their actualization. From the existential point of view, desire comes first and after, means to fulfill it becomes necessary, but simultaneously, it also becomes necessary, to regulate or check the validity or invalidity of desire it self, and same for the means of desire off course. Here comes the role of dharma in the form of regulation of kama & artha. In this way, it is evident that these purusartha do not function seprately, rather they function conjointly i.e. as a conjoint goal. While, moksa can be understood as the maturity of these purusartha in a sense, when man becomes satisfied or dissatisfied with material prosperity, sensual enjoyment as in the case of famous sage Yajnavalkaya10 or have attained nivrtti11 from them. But before this experience realization of trivarga value becomes necessary as they are the very basis of the world & worldly behaviors. With this view, it can be understood that why moksa has been placed as the goal for the last asrama i.e. samnyasa asrama, up till reaching this stage of life, the social responsibilities as well as essential three rina (debts) got fulfilled and one can explore his enquiry up to last or ultimate reality and its realization.