World Needs Spiritual Transformation

The four purusharthas (dharma, artha, kama, and moksha) are regarded in common parlance as the purposes of human life. They are given a worldly meaning. But their real meaning is spiritual. The foremost purpose of the four purusharthas is to make man realize that his primary duty is to divinize himself (to transform himself from Man to Madhava).

The word purusha does not signify the masculine gender as is commonly assumed. It refers to the Atma, the supreme consciousness, which has no gender and which is immanent in all beings. Of the two terms purusha and prakriti, the latter represents the gross element in nature. It refers also to the body. Purusha is the consciousness, the indweller in the body. The two are interdependent. The Shastras have declared that the body is jada (gross) and the Atma is chaitanya (consciousness) and that the body is feminine. Every being can be considered as made up of both elements and therefore everyone, irrespective of sex, is entitled to pursue the purusharthas.

The True Meaning of Purusharthas

Of the four purusharthas (dharma, artha, kama, and moksha), the first one, dharma, is regarded in common usage as referring to actions like charity, the duties of one’s ashrama (a stage in life), going on pilgrimages, and such other good deeds. But these relate only to external actions. The true dharma of every human being is to make every endeavor to realize the Divine. The process by which this consummation can be reached constitutes dharma. The observance of the duties relating to different ashramas (brahmacharya, grihastha, vanaprastha, and sanyasa) is incidental to the particular stage in life. The duties do not constitute dharma proper. Dharma should lead to Self-realization.

Similarly, artha does not mean, as commonly understood, the accumulation of property and wealth. They may well become anartha (calamitous). They are not lasting. The acquisition of such wealth cannot be considered as purushartha. The real wealth that the man should acquire is the wisdom that is related to the Divine.

The word kama is generally associated with worldly desires and sensual pleasures. But, when it is considered as the purushartha as one of the purposes of life, it relates to the yearning for God and not to mundane desires. The term moksha is generally understood as referring to the means by which one reaches God or Heaven. But one can be in heaven only for the period earned by one’s meritorious deeds and, at the end, will have to be reborn again. But moksha in the true sense refers to a state in which nothing is lacking and there is no coming in or going out. It is a state without name or form. It is not a specific place to go to. It is the attainment of unity with the Divine.

For every human being, the first task, among the four purusharthas, must be to determine what is permanent and what is transient and seek the eternal Madhava. The second objective is the acquisition of Divine wisdom as real wealth. The third is to develop faith in God and yearn for the realization of mergence in God. The fourth is moksha, the state of Self-realisation in which there is no change and there is no movement.

Herald Of Big Change

We celebrate this day as the holy day of Sankranti. Nature wears the garb of supreme peace. The day is pleasantly cool. This is the last day of the Sun’s southern journey and the first day of his northward course. It is the last day of Dhanurmasa (the month named after the constellation Dhanus or Centaur). It is the beginning of Makaramasa (when the Sun enters the constellation Capricorn).

We bid farewell to Dhanurmasa and welcome the Makaramasa, the day of Sankranti has a special significance. Sankranti means sam (coming together); kranti (a big change). Kranti also means knowledge of the past, present, and future. That is why kavi (a poet) is described as kranti-darsi (one who knows the past, the present, and the future). The term cannot be applied to one who dabbles in mere words and rhymes. It can only apply to God, who presides over time, space, and causation.

The entry of the Sun into Makara Rasi (Capricorn) heralds the beginning of a great change from this day. It marks the entry into a Divine phase. It signifies the attempt to turn man’s mind towards God. It is a day when we pray to the Sun, who is a presiding deity for the eyes, to direct our vision to the pure and the holy, the sacred and the Divine.

Spiritual Transformation Will Bring Peace

The Makara month is holier than all the other months. All auspicious ceremonies and activities are embarked upon only from this month. For the performance of the upanayanam (sacred thread-wearing ceremony), people wait for the Uttarayana. In this period nature is vibrant with joy. The harvest is brought home and the farmers enjoy the fruits of their labors. Young girls decorate the fronts of their houses with flour designs and pumpkin flowers. They celebrate the season with group dances. Newlywed bridegrooms are sent to the houses of their brides for celebrating the festive season. Cattle are given a new look and taken around for display of many tricks. Man should recognize the change in season and reform himself to discharge his duties appropriately.

The real meaning of purusharthas is to make use of the time and the circumstances as they arise for making one’s life meaningful and sublime. We have to effect a remarkable spiritual transformation in the world today. Only then the observance of Makara Sankranti has meaning. External changes with no change in one’s outlook and attitude will not signify kranti (radical change). When we bring about a great spiritual transformation, then there will be real peace.

Discourse on Makara Sankranti Day in the Purnachandra Auditorium, 14 Jan 1985