TRIVARGA त्रिवर्ग

1. The Goals of human life commonly refer to Kama, Artha and dharma as the "Trivarga" or "three categories" of possible human pursuits.

2.धर्मार्थावुच्यते श्रेयः कामार्थौ धर्म एव च । अर्थ एवेह वा श्रेयस्त्रिवर्ग इति तु स्थितिः ॥२.२२४ ॥ परित्यजेदर्थकामौ यौ स्यातां धर्मवर्जितौ  । धर्मं चाप्यसुखोदर्कं लोकसंक्रुष्टमेव च  ॥ ४.१७६ ॥

3.        To achieve welfare and happiness some declare Dharma and Artha are good. Others declare that Artha and Kama are better. Still others declare that Dharma is the best. There are also persons who declare Artha alone secures happiness. But the correct view is that the aggregate of Dharma, Artha and Kama (Trivarga) secures welfare and happiness. However, the desire (Kama) and material wealth (Artha) must be rejected if contrary to Dharma. MANU II 224 & IV 176

4.        In this single verse Manu Smriti has considered the merits of pure materialism (Artha and Kama) and of mere spiritualism (Dharma without Artha) and concluded that it is the combination of Dharma, Artha and Kama which secures welfare and happiness with an overriding principle that desire (Kama) and material wealth (Artha) should be rejected if they are inconsistent with Dharma and calls this doctrine TRIVARGA. There can be no better rule or philosophy than Trivarga, for the welfare of the individual and society. It strikes a harmonious balance between the interests of the individual and society.

5.        Purushartha (पुरुषार्थ) literally means an "object of human pursuit". It is a key concept in Sanatanism, and refers to the thre proper goals or aims of a human life. The four puruṣārthas are Dharma (righteousness, moral values), Artha (prosperity, economic values), Kama (pleasure, love, psychological values). All Purusarthas are important, but in cases of conflict, Dharma is considered more important than Artha or Kama.

6. Puruṣartha (पुरुषार्थ) is a composite Sanskrit word from Purusha (पुरुष) and Artha (अर्थ). Purusha mean "human being", "soul" as well as "universal principle and soul of the universe". Artha in one context means "purpose", "object of desire" and "meaning".  Together, Purusartha literally means "purpose of human being" or "object of human pursuit".

a.    Dharma – signifies behaviors that are considered to be in accord with rta, the order that makes life and universe possible,[16] and includes duties, rights, laws, conduct, virtues and right way of living.[17] Hindu dharma includes the religious duties, moral rights and duties of each individual, as well as behaviors that enable social order, right conduct, and those that are virtuous.

b.        Artha – signifies the "means of life", activities and resources that enables one to be in a state one wants to be in.  Artha incorporates wealth, career, activity to make a living, financial security and economic prosperity. The proper pursuit of artha is considered an important aim of human life in Hinduism.

c.         Kama – signifies desire, wish, passion, emotions, pleasure of the senses and the aesthetic enjoyment of life, affection, or love, with or without sexual connotations. Gavin Flood explains Kama as "love" without violating dharma (moral responsibility), artha (material prosperity) and one's journey towards moksha (spiritual liberation). Kamasutra states the relative value of three goals as follows: artha is more important and should precede kama, while dharma is more important and should precede both kama and artha.

7.        The Doctrine of Trivarga comprising of "DHARMA, ARTHA AND KAMA" is the sum and substance of the Sanatana Theory of life, intended to strike a reasonable balance between the interests of the individual and the public interest which means the interests the of all other individuals who constitute the society or Nation concerned and includes all humanity. It declares the Supremacy of Dharma -over Artha (wealth) desire for securing material pleasure and Kama, (every type of desire including the desire for securing wealth and every type of pleasure). It is the invaluable and everlasting solution for all the problems of all human beings for all time to come, irrespective of their belonging or not belonging to any religion.

8.        Artha on the other hand as a part of Trivarga, is best translated as well-being and Kama as ‘pleasure.’ A common Scholastic exercise was to compare the relative importance of the three. There was unanimity in the view that each should be pursued in union with the other two. The preceding factor in the order_ of enumeration, being given precedence over the succeeding. It cannot be neglect esthetic satisfaction and cultivate a joyless existence, while pursuing Dharma and Artha.

9.        Literature on Dharma: The Code of Manu discuss dharma from various religious, social, duties, morals and personal ethics perspective. There is many comminatory or explanations on code of Manu that elaborate the law mentioned in code of Manu. [Yajvalkaya, Narada, Brihaspati, Katyayana]

10.      Literature on Artha: Artha-related texts discuss artha from individual, social and as a compendium of economic policies, politics and laws. For example, the Arthashastra of Kauṭilya, the Kamandakiya Nitisara, Brihaspati Sutra, and Sukra Niti

11.      Literature on Kama: These discuss arts, emotions, love, erotic, relationships and other sciences in the pursuit of pleasure. The Kamasutra of Vātsyāyana is most well-known.

12.      The life span of a man is one hundred years. Dividing that time, he should attend to three aims of life in such a way that they support, rather than hinder each other. In his youth he should attend to profitable aims (Artha) such as learning, in his prime to pleasure (Kama).

13.      A result of such obsession has been the selection of only those parts of our old literature, which furnish sanctions to the slogans of the day. With the exception of Manusmriti, which has been expounded as a classic of social science, the major treatises of Dharmashashtra and Arthashashtra continue to be identified with law and politics. In defiance of etymology and history, we persist, according to our inclination or bias, in describing Artha Shastra as political or economic science.

Edited by Yogendra Tyagi