Lecture 5 Flashcards
what are purusharthas
4 goals of life (originally just 3); areas or orientations of human activity literally ‘aims of human beings’
what are the 4 purusharthas
dharma
artha
kama
moksa
The first three together reflect social engagement and having a full life
The last one is more for ascetic withdrawls
what is dharma
‘right action’, moral order, sacred duty
dharma should influence this
what is artha
political and financial success; professional achievements; power/wealth
(dharma should influence this)
what is kama
engagement of sense of pleasure and the arts
what is moksa
liberation, release from cycle of birth and death
what is ashrama
stage of life; resting point
Traditionally follow them in order… however the idea of having to wait until old to renounce is not appealing to many
Thus many mocks subscribers don’t follow this; they think it should be done earlieer
so there are now more modern variations
what are the 4 ashrama (traditionally first to last)
student (brahmacarin)
house holder (grhastha)
forest dweller (uanaprastha)
renouncer (samnyasin)
what is the root origin of sharma
from the root dhr which meant ‘to uphold’
in the earliest sense; order and harmony maintained through proper ritual actions
what are the 2 expanded meaning of dharma
sanatana-dharma
varnasrama-dharma
what is sanatana-dharma
‘the eternal dharma,’ the dharma for ALL times and people (e.g. ‘golden rule’)
what is varnasrama-dharma
dharma according to one’s social position and stage of life (more specific sharma)
an abstract model for living an ideal brahminical life that change emphases according to 2 factors; one’s caste (varna) and stage of life (ashrama)
Not a ‘model of’ reality (e.g. aritst’s drawing of a building) but an idealized social ‘model for’ reality (e.g. architect’s blueprint)
explain the early narrative imagining of social order
Rg Veda , the Purush Sukta (Hymn of the cosmic people):
- imagining certain type of creation origins
- connects sacrificial persons to all elements of the universe
- critical verse describes people creation (groups of people) called varna/caste
- this became earliest text to describe people in different groups/levels
what is Varna
social class/categories; one of several terms discussed as ‘caste’
what are the 4 castes/varna
brahmin
kshatriyas
vaishya
shudra