Maharishi Barthruhari has written three books, Srungara Shatakam, Niti Shaṭakam and Vairagya Shatakam. In all three of these texts he has elaborated on the four purusharthas( the four goals of life) to be attained in life: Dharma,Artha,Kama and Moksha.
Achieving happiness is in the nature of all living beings. Man seeks pleasure with rationality and intelligence. Shastras allow one to attain and experience pleasure according to Dharma. It also states the way to attain Dharma.
The earlier part of the scriptures( Purva Mimansa) explains in detail how to achieve worldly pleasures by performing various karmas. Everything that is done to achieve worldly pleasures is called lustful heck( Kamiya Karma).
It imposes certain rules on the conduct of such acts. We should try to achieve worldly pleasures only under Dharma according to the rules of Vedic science. Barthruhari has told us in his Srungara Shatakam how to do kamiya karmas.
In his next book, 'Niti Shatakam' dealing with Artha( material) , he talks about how to achieve Artha( wealth) in a dharmic way meaning in a systematic way. There is nothing wrong with trying to be rich in life. Because wealth is definitely needed to get the basic necessities of our daily lives and the activities we carry out for it. But they must be acquired according to Dharma and enjoyed according to Dharma. No one will respect us if we do not have enough wealth. Relationships will also be ignored. So wealth plays an important role in the worldly life.
Barthruhari has explained the importance of Dharma and it's meaning in his book on NitiShatakam.
Dharma speaks of three kinds of things.
They are. 1. Living according to the rules prescribed by Shastra, 2. Living with Dharmas like love, compassion, patience, 3. Behaving well with others' .
Dharma is divided into three types.
We need to understand that the way we treat others is the way we treat our parents, the way we treat our teachers, the way we use natural resources..
The Vatiragya Shatakam speaks of the fourth Purushartha i.e., moksha. It does not directly tell us about the path to enlightenment or moksha. The qualifications required to achieve this are explained as Vivekam,Vairagyam, Sahatsampathi and Mumuksuthvam.
Of these four qualities, Vairagya is the most important. It usually refers to asceticism.
Vairagya' comes after Vivekam. Vivekam is the ability to discern ' Sat' from ' Asat' objects.
Sat objects are true yesterday , today and forever. It is not subject to any change. It has no beginning nor end.Asat objects have a beginning; they undergo changes,they gruw, weaken, decay and disappear. Because of this nature Asat' vastu cannot give continuing happiness.
Once this ability to discern is attained, one should eschew all Asat' objects and pursue the Sat .The zeal to do this is called Vairagya.It is generally said that the difference between Vairgya and asceticism is the renunciation of external things and the abstinence from worldly things within the mind. Knowledge of reality( Satya Sakshatkaram) can be achieved when there is zeal or Varagya. Thus one can attain liberation) Moksha) from samsara.
Knowledge available is aplenty.Issue is how to put it to use profitably.Here proven practitoners are rare to come across.Further, the whole experience is subjective,so till one comes to that stage,quest goes on.Hopefully one day seeking will end successfully.(bala)
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