# पुरुषार्थ (puruṣārtha)

Canonical page: https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/purushartha

पुरुषार्थ (puruṣārtha) is a Sanskrit word meaning any object of human pursuit, human effort or exertion, for the sake of the soul, for or on account of man, object of pursuit, for man as wealth. Its 11 recorded definitions are grouped into 5 contexts, among them The four traditional aims of life, General object of human pursuit, Adverbial: for the sake of man/soul.

- **Etymology:** E. पुरुष, and अर्थ object — E. puruṣa, and artha object
- **SLP1:** `puruzArTa`  **IAST:** puruṣārtha  **Devanagari:** पुरुषार्थ
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/purushartha/declensions.md

## Meanings by context

### The four traditional aims of life (4 definitions)
- any one of the four aims of human existence: desire, wealth, duty, and final emancipation  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > any one of the four objects or aims of existence ( viz. काम (kāma), the gratification of desire; अर्थ (artha), acquirement of wealth; धर्म (dharma), discharge of duty; मोक्ष (mokṣa), final emancipation), Mn.; Prab.; Kap. ( - त्व (-tva) n. ), Sāṃkhyak. &c. [ ID=126587 ]
- 1. The gratification of desire, acquirement of wealth, discharge of duty, and final emancipation. 2. For or on account of man.  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > पुरुष (puruṣa) ार्थ (puruṣārtha) [Printed book page 544 ] पुरुष (puruṣa) ार्थ (puruṣārtha) m. ( - र्थ (-rtha) ः (-rthaḥ) ) A human object: as the gratification of desire, acquirement of wealth, discharge of duty, and final emancipation. n. adv. ( - र्थ (-rtha) ) For or on account of man. E. पुरुष (puruṣa), and अर्थ (artha) object. [ ID=25148 ]
- one of the four principal objects of human existence, namely righteousness, wealth, pleasure, and liberation  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > पुरुषार्थ (puruṣārtha) [Printed book page 445-09 ] पुरुष - अर्थ (artha) (puruṣa-artha) m. one of the four principal objects of human existence (viz., धर्म (dharma), अर्थ (artha), काम (kāma) and मोक्ष (mokṣa) ). See under अर्थ (artha). [ ID=23013 ]
- 1. A human object such as duty, wealth, desire, or liberation. 2. On account of man.  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > पुरुषार्थ (puruṣārtha) [Printed book page 460-a ] पुरुषार्थ (puruṣārtha) m. ( - र्थः (-rthaḥ) ) A human object: as the gratification of desire, acquirement of wealth, discharge of duty, and final emancipation. n. ( - र्थं (-rthaṃ) ) Adv. For, or on account of man. E. पुरुष, (puruṣa,) and अर्थ (artha) object. [ ID=25379 ]

### General object of human pursuit (3 definitions)
- any object of human pursuit  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H3) [Printed book page 637,3] पुरुषा (puruṣā) र्थ (rtha) m. any object of human pursuit [ ID=126586 ]
- 1. Object of pursuit. 2. For man as wealth.  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > पुरुषार्थ (puruṣārtha) [Printed book page 487-b ] पुरुषा _ र्थ (puruṣā_rtha) ( र्थः ) ((rthaḥ)) 1. m. Object of pursuit. adv. ( थं (thaṃ) ) For man as wealth. [ ID=24625 ]
- any object or aim of men  
  *Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > पुरुषार्थ (puruṣārtha) [Printed book page 321 ] पुरुषार्थ (puruṣārtha) m. any object or aim of men; ° प्रयोजन (°prayojana) n. means for obtaining it. [ ID=19530 ]

### Adverbial: for the sake of man/soul (2 definitions)
- for the sake of the soul  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H3C) [Printed book page 637,3] पुरुषा (puruṣā) र्थम् (rtham) ind. for the sake of the soul, Kap. [ ID=126589 ]
- for or on account of man  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > for or on account of man, W. [ ID=126590 ]

### Human effort or exertion (1 definition)
- human effort or exertion  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > human effort or exertion, MBh.; R. &c. [ ID=126588 ]

### Reference to 'four' (aims) (1 definition)
- Four in number.  
  *The Purana Index*
  > पुरुषार्थ (puruṣārtha) [Printed book page 2-354 ] Puruṣārthas — four in number; 1 realised by the study of Viṣṇu Purāṇa. 2 Page2-355+ 30 [ Footnote: 1) Vi. I. 18. 21.] [ Footnote: 2) Ib. VI. 8. 3.] [ ID=8083 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899); Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary; The Purana Index; Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary.
Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon, University of Cologne.

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