Artha – Earning a lawful living. This is seen as one of the four main aims of human life

(Pronounced ahr-thuh)

To remember the meaning of the Hindu term Artha, use the following mnemonic:

He had arthritis, but a (Artha) living had to be made, so he carried on working despite the pain.

There is a certain irony about the Hindu concept of Artha. It means the pursuit of wealth, which is important as part of attempting to achieve Moksha (liberation from the cycle of rebirth) – but it is equally important that Hindus do not become attached to wealth!

In other words, making money is fine – but letting it become the most important aspect of your life is not.

As with many aspects of Hinduism, Artha has several meanings, but they all involve "means of life": activities and resources that enable a person to be in the state they want to be in. Material assets are part of this.

Artha is closely related to three other aspects and goals of human life: Dharma (virtuous, proper, moral life), Kama (pleasure, sensuality, emotional fulfilment) and (as mentioned earlier) Moksha (liberation, release).

Collectively, these four goals are called Purushartha, or objects of human pursuit.