Artha Dictionary

shastra: (Sanskrit) "Sacred text; teaching."

1)    Any religious or philosophical treatise, or body of writings.

2)    A department of knowledge, a science; e.g., the Dharma Shastras on religious law, Artha Shastras on politics.

(See also: Shastra , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

moksha:

ultimate spiritual liberation from material bondage. One of the 4 duties of a human. The others are dharma, artha and kama.

(See also: moksha , Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

dharma: (Sanskrit) "Righteousness." From dhri, "to sustain; carry, hold."

Hence dharma is "that which contains or upholds the cosmos." Dharma, religion, is a complex and all-inclusive term with many meanings, including: divine law, law of being, way of righteousness, religion, ethics, duty, responsibility, virtue, justice, goodness and truth. Essentially, dharma is the orderly fulfillment of an inherent nature or destiny. Relating to the soul, it is the mode of conduct most conducive to spiritual advancement, the right and righteous path.

(See also: Dharma , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Siddhartha (Sanskrit) [from siddha attained from the verbal root sidh to accomplish, attain, succeed + artha object, aim]

One who has attained or accomplished his object, one who has fulfilled the object of his coming on earth; a name given to Gautama Buddha.

See also BUDDHA-SIDDHARTHA

(See also: Siddhartha , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary)

Kama: (Sanskrit , "desire")

1)    One of Hinduism's four goals of life (purusharthas), together with dharma (religion), artha (profit), and moksha (liberation).

2)    Kama incarnate is the god of erotic love, who incites lust by means of arrows made of flowers shot from a bowstring made of bees.

(See also: Kama , New Age Spirituality, Body Mind and Soul)

ashrama dharma: "Duties of life's stages."

Human or developmental dharma. The natural process of maturing from childhood to old age through fulfillment of the duties of each of the four stages of life- brahmachari (student), grihastha (householder), vanaprastha (elder advisor) and sannyasa (religious solitaire)- in pursuit of the four human goals: dharma (righteousness), artha (wealth), kama (pleasure) and moksha (liberation).

See: ashrama dharma.

(See also: Ashrama dharma , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Purusartha - the goals of human attainment. In the Vedic sastras these are classified into four categories: dharma, religious duty; artha, acquisition of wealth; kama, satisfaction of material desires; and moksa, liberation from material existence. Beyond all of these is the development of unalloyed love for the Supreme Lord, who is the embodiment of spiritual bliss and transcendental rasa. This is known as parama-purusartha, the supreme object of attainment.

(See also: Purusartha , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

purushartha

The four standard goals of human life: dharma (religiosity), artha (economic development), kama (sense gratification), and moksha (liberation).

(See also: purushartha , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Padartha (Sanskrit) [from pada step, stride, foot + artha relating to a thing or object; purpose or object, motive or reason, a thing or object]

The meaning of a word; also that which corresponds to the meaning of a word, hence a material object and even a man, a person. In philosophy and logic, used as a category or predicament, the Vaiseshika school and the Vedantins enumerating seven, while the Sankhyas enumerate 25. Blavatsky compares the seven padarthas of the Vaiseshikas to the seven attributes of the seven principles as follows: dravya to sthula-sarira; guna to jiva; karma to linga-sarira; samanya to kama; visesha to manas; samavaya to buddhi; abhava to atman (BCW 4:580).

(See also: Padartha , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Kama:

Kama: Endeavour, moral desire; one of the Four Goals of Human Life together with Dharma, Artha, Moksha (Righteousness, Welfare and Liberation), (RRV-5), (Leela Kaivalya Vahini).

(See also: Kama , Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Brahama-vartha:

Brahama-vartha (Brahma-aavartha). Region of Brahma.

(See also: Brahama-vartha , Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Four Goals of Life (purusharthas): Ideal aims of life in Hindu social duty (dharma), including pleasure (kama), success (artha), right conduct (dharma), and liberation (moksha).

 (See also: Four Goals of Life , Eastern Philosophy, Body Mind and Soul)

Moksha:

Moksha: Ultimate release (BV-10), liberation from the cycle of birth and dead, (BV-33), Liberation; one of the Four Goals of Human Life together with Dharma, Artha, Kama (Righteousness, Welfare and Endeavour) (RRV-5), (BV-36).

(See also: Moksha , Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Itihasa -

(1) history in general.

(2) a book which contains instructions on dharma, artha, kama, and moksa, and narrations of ancient events (dharmartha-kama-moksanam upadesa-samanvitam purva-vrta katha-yuktam itihasam pracaksate). This definition is quoted in Gaudiya-Vaisnava-abhidhana.

(3) the fifth Veda. According to both sruti and smrti, the Itihasa and the Puranas are considered the fifth Veda. Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.12.39) states, itihasa-puranani pancamam vedam; and (1.4.20) , itihasa puranan ca pancamo veda ucyate. In his commentary on (1.4.20) , Jiva Gosvami quotes the Mahabharata (Moksa-dharma 340.21) , vedan adhyapayamasa mahabharata-pancaman iti, "Vyasa taught the Vedas along with the fifth of their number, the Mahabharata.”

Similarly in Manu-smrti (3.232) it is said, akhyananitihasams ca. In his Manu-vartha-muktavali commentary on this sloka, Kulluka Bhatta (a celebrated commentator on Manusmrti from the twelfth century) states, itihasan mahabharatadin, "The word itihasan refers to the Mahabharata and other literature.” These references establish that the word itihasa specifically refers to the Mahabharata.

Within the Mahabharata is found the Bhagavad-Gita, which is accepted as the essence of all the Vedas even by Sri Sankaracarya, who states in the introduction to his Gita commentary, tad idam gita-sastram samasta-vedartha-sarasangraha- bhutam, "This gita-sastra is the essence of the purport of all the Vedas.” This further confirms that the itihasa is part of the body of Vedic literature. Sruti itself (Chandogya Upanisad 7.1.2) declares that the Itihasa and Puranas are the fifth Veda among the body of Vedic literature, itihasam puranam pancamam vedanam vedam.

(See also: Itihasa , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Dharma:

Dharma: Religious principles; one's eternal, natural occupation (i.e. devotional service to the Lord) [Sastras] (Bhagavatha Vahini), Righteous conduct, justice, morality, duty. Karma along the lines of Dharma cannot be sinful, (BV-4), (RRV-1), Justice, Righteousness, Morality, Virtue, (BV-32), Righteousness (BV-35); one of the Four Goals of Human Life together with Artha, Kama, Moksha (Welfare, Endeavour and Liberation), Rightful duties (RRV-5), Dharma Vahini. The regulated life of the spirit affecting every detail of the process of living, with liberation from the consequences of ignorance always in view (SSS-II)

(See also: Dharma , Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Dharma Shastra: (Sanskrit) "Religious law book."

A term referring to all or any of numerous codes of Hindu civil and social law composed by various authors. The best known and most respected are those by Manu and Yajnavalkya, thought to have been composed as early as 600 bce.

The Dharma Shastras, along with the Artha Shastras, are the codes of Hindu law, parallel to the Muslim Sharia, the Jewish Talmud, each of which provides guidelines for kings, ministers, judicial systems and law enforcement agencies. These spiritualparliamentary codes differ from British and American law, which separate religion from politics. (Contemporary British law is influenced by Anglican Christian thought, just as American democracy was, and is, profoundly affected by the philosophy of its non-Christian, Deistic founders.)

The Dharma Shastras also speak of much more, including creation, initiation, the stages of life, daily rites, duties of husband and wife, caste, Vedic study, penances and transmigration. The Dharma Shastras are part of the Smriti literature, included in the Kalpa Vedanga, and are widely available today in many languages.

See: Deism, Manu Dharma Shastras.

(See also: Dharma Shastra , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Sadhya - the object or goal which is desired by a person and for the attainment of which he undergoes a suitable process, is known as sadhya. There are many different types of sadhyas, or objects of attainment, and these are generally grouped into four categories: dharma (religiosity) , artha (economic development) , kama (material enjoyment) , and moksa (liberation).

The  sadhya-vastu, or object of attainment, for the bhaktas is bhagavat-priti, love for the Supreme Lord. This is also known as prema. Bhaktior prema, being an eternal function of Sri Bhagavan’s svarupa-sakti, is not produced by anything. Yet, when the bhakta’s heart is purified by performing sadhana-bhakti, it becomes fit to receive the manifestation of His hladini or pleasure giving potency. At that time Krsna manifests this potency in the bhakta’s heart and it becomes known as bhagavat-priti (see priti and purusartha).

(See also: Sadhya , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Purusharthas, Dharma, Artha, Karma and Moksha

Purusha means human being and artha means object or objective. Purusharthas means objectives of man. According to Hindu way of life, a man should strive to achieve four chief objectives (Purusharthas) in his life. They are: 

1.    dharma (righteousness), 

2.    artha (material wealth), 

3.    kama (desire) and 

4.    moksha (salvation). 

Every individual in a society is expected to achieve these four objectives and seek fulfillment in his life before departing from here. The concept of Purusharthas clearly establishes the fact that Hinduism does not advocate a life of self negation and hardship, but a life of balance, achievement and fulfillment. 

Read more here: » Purusharthas: Dharma, Artha, Karma and Moksha - The Purusharthas

Hinduism and Buddhism Compared

Similiarities and differences between Hinduism and Buddhism.

Read more here: » Hinduism vs Buddhism: Hinduism and Buddhism Compared

The Nyaya or Hindu logic was founded by Gautama Rishi, who is also known by the names Akshapada and Dirghatapas. The Nyaya and the Vaiseshika are analytic types of philosophy. The word Nyaya signifies going into a subject, i.e., investigating it analytically. In this sense of analysis, the word Nyaya is exactly opposed to Sankhya, synthesis. The Nyaya is sometimes called Tarka-Vidya or the Science of Debate, Vada-Vidya or the Science of Discussion. Tarka is the special feature of the Nyaya.

Excerpt from All About Hinduism by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Nyaya: Hindu Philosophy - The Nyaya

Meditation Experiences by Sarasvati Buhrman PhD - Part II

Sometime after 350 B.C. a great yogi sage wrote the "Yoga Sutra". This brief translation should wet your appetite. This describes the transformation of mind that will unfold over a course of sadhana (spiritual practice), focusing on the relationship between the mind and the object of meditation.

Read more here: » Meditation Experiences: Meditation Experiences According to the Ashtanga Yoga Tradition with Commentary on Patanjali's Yoga Sutra - Part II