Shastras
Puruṣārtha literally means an "object of human pursuit". It is a key concept in Hinduism, and refers to the four proper goals or aims of a human life.
The four puruṣārthas are Dharma (righteousness, moral values), Artha (prosperity, economic values), Kama (pleasure, love, psychological values) and Moksha (liberation, spiritual values). All four Purusarthas are important, but in cases of conflict, Dharma is considered more important than Artha or Kama in Hindu philosophy. Moksha is considered the ultimate ideal of human life.
Each of these four canonical puruṣārthas was subjected to a process of study and extensive literary development in Indian history. This produced numerous treatises, with a diversity of views, in each category.
If you are new to Hindu Philosophy, then you should read the classification of Sacred Texts of Hinduism FIRST! Read HERE!
Published Books on: Shastras
The following books are already published in this site for free access! We are working on the remaining books to make them available on our site soon.
Available Books on: Shastras
On Dharma
- The Manusmriti (~ 2nd to 3rd century CE)
- The Yājñavalkya Smṛti (~ 4th to 5th-century CE)
- The Nāradasmṛti (~ 5th to 6th-century CE)
- The Viṣṇusmṛti (~ 7th-century CE)
On Artha
- The Arthashastra of Kauṭilya
- The Kamandakiya Nitisara
- Brihaspati Sutra
- Sukra Niti
On Kama
- Kamasutra of Vātsyāyana
- Ratirahasya
- Jayamangala
- Smaradipika
- Ratimanjari
- Ratiratnapradipika
- Ananga Ranga
On Moksha
- Bhagavad Gita
- Vivekachudamani