Life's Purposes or Purushartha in Sanskrit, are four basic objectives that Hindu culture has recognized as acceptable ends for all human beings leading to the final liberation of the soul from the cycle of reincarnation.
- artha (wealth and power),
- kama (desire, particularly sexual desire),
- dharma (goodness or religious obligation),
- and moksha (liberation)
Hindus have agreed that all of these goals are worthwhile, but that the final one is fundamentally distinct from the other three, which are more closely linked.
- There's nothing wrong with wanting money or pleasure.
- Hindu culture embraces both with the knowledge that their pursuit and enjoyment should be guided by a dedication to dharma in the end.
Although there are ways to moksha that enable one to stay in the world, it is often assumed that someone seeking moksha would be less concerned with worldly wants since they are incompatible with this ultimate aim.
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