According to the teachings in Chapter 17, 'Purushartha' refers to the true purpose and effort of human life. This purpose is defined as the act of discarding the path of worldly pleasure (Preya) and honoring the path of salvation (Shreya). The realization or birth of true manhood, or Purushartha, is triggered when a person becomes exhausted by the suffering and unendurable torments of worldly existence (Samsara). By great fortune, this suffering leads them to question how to stop the incessant rotation of this wheel of existence. When this investigative thought arises, the individual begins to choose the successful means for their own true self-interest.
What is the meaning of 'Purushartha' as explained in Chapter 17, and what triggers its realization?
📖 Chapter 17