[ Prof Anga Padu ]
The recent mass protest at Jantar Mantar, led by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) in response to the recurring NEET paper leaks, emerged as a significant movement that attracted widespread attention both across the country and internationally.
India’s ancient scriptures – the Vedas – reflect the nation’s rich intellectual heritage. Yet, it is disheartening to see a country once regarded as a beacon of knowledge and enlightenment now facing uncertainty and despair among its younger generations, who represent its future.
If we reflect deeply on this movement, we can see that it is the culmination of the frustration arising from the shattered dreams of millions of young aspirants. This incident has taught all of us, irrespective of our social standing, to reflect upon the true purpose of our lives. It calls for a philosophical self-examination, prompting us to ask: What is the purpose of our existence? What does it mean to live a complete and meaningful human life?
While reflecting on this issue, I felt that this is indeed the right time to revisit our ancient philosophy of purushartha in the midst of this crisis. For what are we living? This is a question that every one of us must seek to comprehend. By ‘every one of us’, I mean each individual, irrespective of social standing – parents, students, teachers, businesspersons, commoners, homemakers, administrators, political leaders, doctors, engineers, and so on.
However, this question assumes greater significance for those in positions of leadership, as the responsibility of governance rests in their hands. The values, priorities, and decisions of leaders shape not only the direction of the nation but also the aspirations and well-being of its people. Therefore, it is imperative to reflect upon the ideals of purushartha, which provide a timeless framework for understanding the true purpose and goals of human life.
The Sanskrit word purushartha is composed of two words: purusha, meaning ‘human being’, and artha, meaning ‘purpose’ or ‘goal’. Thus, purushartha literally means the objectives or goals of human life. It refers to the four fundamental goals that guide human existence and contribute to the holistic development and fulfilment of an individual.
In the hierarchy of purusharthas, kama is considered to occupy the lowest position. Kama, which means ‘desire’ or ‘sensate pleasures’ in layman’s terms, refers to the desire for love, affection, physical intimacy, enjoyment, celebration, and other pursuits that make life satisfying and beautiful. According to Indian traditional philosophy, the fulfilment of kama is an important objective of human life, as it helps individuals remain motivated and engaged in worldly existence. However, excessive indulgence in the pursuit of kama may lead to moral and existential decay. Therefore, the fulfilment of kama should be pursued with awareness, moderation, and mindfulness.
Artha, which comes before kama in the hierarchy of purusharthas, refers to material prosperity, wealth, and economic well-being. Material prosperity is considered fundamental to human life because it helps individuals fulfil their basic needs, such as food, clothing, and shelter, and also enables them to perform dharma – the various duties and responsibilities that each individual holds by virtue of their position in society.
However, the pursuit of artha should always be guided by righteousness and ethical principles. Any attempt to acquire artha through unethical or shortcut method not only corrupts an individual’s character but also creates disorder and injustice in society. When a person adopts such shortcuts, they often manipulate situations in ways that deprive others of their rightful opportunities. The NEET paper leak controversy can be considered an example of how the unethical pursuit of personal gain can adversely affect society. The act of some individuals attempting to obtain and sell examination question papers not only undermined the aspirations and hard work of countless students but also contributed to severe emotional distress among many young aspirants, ultimately contributing to the tragic suicides of 21 children. Such incidents also create a harmful perception among the younger generation that success can be achieved through manipulation, rather than through dedication, honesty, and merit.
Dharma, another fundamental purushartha, refers to one’s duties and responsibilities. At any given time, an individual occupies multiple roles in society. For instance, a person may simultaneously be a leader, a father, a brother, a son-in-law, and a citizen. Each of these roles carries specific duties and responsibilities. Therefore, fulfilling these responsibilities is an essential pursuit of human life. However, instability within the family and society often arises when individuals neglect or fail to discharge their responsibilities.
Once again, the NEET paper leak serves as a clear illustration of this point. Many young people perceived that those entrusted with safeguarding the confidentiality and integrity of the examination failed to discharge their responsibilities, resulting in widespread frustration expressed through the recent protest at Jantar Mantar.
Moksha, also known as salvation, is the fourth and final purusartha. It means liberation or freedom from illusion (maya) and ignorance (avidya). Everything in life is impermanent, except the certainty of death. Yet many people choose to remain ignorant, living under the illusion that worldly existence is permanent. As a result, they continue to hoard wealth and positions by exploiting others or manipulating system, indulge in endless desires, and pursue worldly gains without ever feeling truly satisfied.
Traditional Indian philosophy teaches that the pursuit of moksha, through the realisation of ultimate truth of the impermanence of worldly existence and the inevitability of death, enables individuals to live a balanced and meaningful life. It inspires them to remain steadfast in dharma, earn artha through righteous and judicious means, and enjoy kama with self-restraint and mindfulness.
It is important to note that the four purusharthas are deeply interconnected; consequently, any imbalance in one of them affects the others, leading to disorder in human behaviour and giving rise to inequality, exploitation, examination paper leaks, corruption, poverty, unemployment, and various other social challenges.
In a nutshell, although moksha is the highest and ultimate pursuit of human life, it provides the wisdom to pursue artha ethically, enjoy kama mindfully, and fulfil dharma with wholehearted commitment. In doing so, it helps maintain balance in human behaviour, thereby fostering peace, well-being, progress, and tranquillity in society. Thus, a call to rediscover purusartha is the need of the hour. (The contributor is a professor in the education department of RGU, Rono Hills)