The Vargas: Dharma, Artha, Káma and Mokśa

The fruits of caturvarga are:

• dharma
• artha
• káma
• mokśa

From itihása, man gets:

• these fruits
• a system of the dos and don’ts of niiti.

Káma is the desire for mundane objects – name, fame, wealth, etc. This includes getting food and clothing.

The next varga is artha.

Artha is that which relieves pain. The pain of hunger is relieved when one buys something and eats it.

Hence, money is the cause of the removal of the pain of hunger.

Therefore money is known as “artha.”

Similar is the case in the psychic sphere.

Suppose you are mentally disturbed when you are not able to know the meaning of something.

The moment you know it your mental trouble is gone. Meaning therefore is known as “artha.”

So in the psychic field also, “artha” means that which removes pain.

The next varga is dharma. “Dharma” means psycho-spiritual development.

The fourth varga is mokśa.

As long as a person is away from Paramátman there will be some trouble or other whether one is righteous or unrighteous.

Pain is finally removed only by obtaining moks’a.

“Varga” means “class” there are four classes.*

1. Physical
2. Physico-psychic
3. Psycho-spiritual
4. Spiritual

Hence, the itikatha which begets the fruits of the 4 vargas and has the dos and don’ts of life in it is known as “itihása.”

So the Mahábhárata is an itihása, the author of which is Krsna Dvaepayana Vyasa.