Passage 21

In English

He regarded sathya and dharma as the two foundation walls. He also regarded them as the two wheels for the chariot of His life. He propagated that with sathya and dharma, one can carry on one’s life in this world. This is why Rama has been described by saying “Ramo vigraha van dharmah.” Rama is the embodiment of dharma. Rama’s form is dharma, Rama’s conduct is truth. Here Rama, Lakshmana, Bharatha and Satrughna can be identified with the four purusharthas: dharma, artha, kama and moksha. Ramachandra has been looking at these four purusharthas as distinct ones. He took dharma as the base, moksha as the destination which we have to reach. When we have a ladder and when we want to climb to the top using the ladder, the ladder rests on the ground as the base. The ladder has also got a destination which we have to reach. This ladder rests on the ground of dharma and attempts to reach the top mansion which is moksha. In between there are two steps, the steps of artha and kama. Both these steps, artha and kama, are to be joined either on one hand with dharma or on the other hand with moksha. If one is to expound it in a simpler way, one can say that dharma and artha join up and constitute one part, and kama and moksha, join up and constitute the second part. When dharma and artha are put together, we see that by a dharmic life, one may acquire wealth or artha or you have the aspiration to acquire wealth for the sake of dharma. Do not have kama towards the world. Do not have a desire to enjoy the world but have kama or the desire for moksha. All your earnings and acquisitions should be related to dharma and your desires to moksha.