What is the purpose of our life? This is indicated by the term ‘purushārtha’ where ‘arthā’ means ‘the purpose’ or ‘the means’ and ‘purusha’ means ‘the human-being’.

How is it possible for the Veda to guide us in our purushārtha, given that there are many and varied goals as there are many human-beings! Also, is not Veda, a specific religious text! How can it apply to the entire humanity!

Such doubts are cleared if we approach Veda, in the same way Veda approaches us: as universal in the outlook, systematic in reasoning, focused on the root cause and a meta-thinking for the generalisation.

For example, as all life forms thrive to survive, achieving the basic needs of survival is the foremost goal. It is therefore clearly a universal purushārtha and the scriptures call it simply as the ‘arthā’.

We need to know how the Veda helps in reaching our purushārtha.

(to be continued – Mee. Rajagopalan – 16/05/2017)