Moksha or liberation is the final goal in Hinduism and Sanatana Dharma, but there are three other goals which lead us there. Together they are called four Purusharthas.
The greatest problem in the modern world is that our youth are not given any goal in life except the making of money. This is why we see so many depressed and unhappy people who find that even after they get a lot of money, they are never satisfied. The Sanatana Dharma, on the other hand, gave us certain goals in life by following which our human lives would be fulfilled. These were taught to children at the beginning of their school years so that they knew what the purpose of life was.
Hindu dharma is called sanatana or eternal for two reasons. Sanatanam karoti iti sanatana. Everything that has a beginning in time and space has to end at some other point in time and space. Sanatana, however, means eternal. Nobody knows when the Sanatana Dharma began, therefore, it will never end. Those who follow this dharma will also realize the eternity and immortality of their true Self. It makes the follower feel and realize that his personality is, in truth, immortal – sanatana. He is not the body. He only has a body, like a house or a car. The “presence and power” that animate the body are not physical but spiritual. He is totally different from the matter that constitutes the body. He is actually the unborn, undying, eternal atman that is present everywhere.
Equally so, Hindu dharma is eternal because it relates to the mind and intelligence of the human, which have not changed over ages. Ancient human beings had the same emotional mind and rational intelligence as their modern counterparts. Values that relate to these changeless constituents of the human personality are naturally eternal.
The scientific nature of the Sanatana Dharma rests upon the observations our senses make, and the inferences that the mind and intelligence derive from these observations. These are the two canons on which all objective sciences also rely. Objective science uses instruments like the telescope and microscope but that makes no difference to the fundamental nature and validity of both science and spirituality. The parts of a person that employ the instruments are one’s senses. And it is the mind and intelligence within that employ the senses. Thus, the grounds on which western objective science and Sanatana Dharma, the subjective science, rest are the same.
You will notice that the desire for wealth (artha) and desire for pleasure (kama) are hemmed in by righteousness (dharma) in front and liberation (moksha) at the back. This is to tell us that if we use righteous or dharmic means to attain wealth and pleasure we will automatically attain liberation.
The highest or final goal in the Sanatana Dharma is to attain moksha or liberation from the eternal cycle of births and deaths that a jiva (embodied soul) has to go through due to the karmic balance that he or she has incurred during their many lives. This is the final goal, but Hinduism being a practical religion, realized the need for temporary goals which the human being needs during his life on this earth. These goals are four in number including moksha.
These goals take into consideration the nature of the human being and cater to all his needs – physical, mental and spiritual. In fact, these goals are a necessity for every human being. They are: dharma – righteousness, artha – desire for wealth, kama – desire for pleasure, and moksha – desire for liberation. These are known as the four purusharthas or goals of human life.
You will notice that the desire for wealth (artha) and desire for pleasure (kama) are hemmed in by righteousness (dharma) in front and liberation (moksha) at the back. This is to show us that if we use righteous or dharmic means to attain wealth and pleasure we will automatically attain liberation. So, we see that Hinduism not only caters to all the different sides of the human personality, but also that by following these goals he will eventually be led to the final goal of liberation or moksha.
