Artha 1638459 218052871 2008-06-08T23:06:44Z Cminard 6243595 Added reference. '''Artha''' ([[Devanagari]]: अर्थ) is a [[Sanskrit]] term meaning "purpose, cause, motive, meaning, notion". It may refer to the idea of material prosperity. In [[Hinduism]], artha is one of the four goals of life, known as [[purusharthas]]. It is considered to be a noble goal as long as it follows the dictates of [[Historical Vedic religion|Vedic morality]]. The concept includes achieving widespread fame, garnering wealth and having an elevated social standing. It is the second lowest rung on the ladder of purusharthas, above [[Kama (Purusharthas)|kama]] (physical or emotional pleasure) but below [[dharma]] (righteousness) and [[moksha]] (salvation). Artha is one of the dharmas (duties) of a person in the third stage of life, the householder stage, and during this a person must accumulate as much wealth as possible, without being greedy, to help and support his family. {{Hindu-philo-stub}} {{Hinduism_footer_small}} [[Category:Purusharthas]] [[Category:Sanskrit words and phrases]] [[cs:Artha]] [[es:Artha]] [[ka:ართა]] [[pt:Artha]] [[ru:Артха]] [[uk:Артха]] [[ur:ارتھ]]