Trivarga
Trivarga · tri-varga, “the group of three aims”
Grammar: masculine noun; a compound of tri (three) and varga (group): “the group of three”.
Meaning: the three aims of life, dharma, artha and kāma.
In the scriptures: the Brahma Parva of the Bhavishya Purāṇa says that dharma, artha and kāma are called the trivarga (Chapter 4).
In the household. Wealth, dharma and kāma are causes of one another, each called a single wheel. A wealthless man, merely by taking a wife, gets no trivarga, and she becomes only yātanā (torment) to him. Some say offspring alone are the means of the trivarga; knowers of nīti say wealth and a wife are. One without a wife or without wealth has no right to the trivarga, and wealth comes before a wife. The life of those who do not achieve the trivarga is useless as the teats on a goat’s neck, and their birth is only for death. The wise man who rightly serves the trivarga gains what is higher and higher (Chapter 6).
Wealth and woman. Wealth and woman are causes of the trivarga and must be guarded, or reversals come. One must not deceive women in dharma, artha and kāma, or one is separated from oneself. Whoever follows this strī-vṛtta attains in full the dharma, artha and kāma of this world (Chapter 8). Those who begin great works are causes of the trivarga (Chapter 9).
For women. There are two causes of women’s aims: being favourable to the husband and an unslipping śīla. So walking, women of good kula gain the aims for husband and self (Chapter 13).
As a fruit. Keeping a vrata of Bhagavān Sūrya for life gives wealth, victory and the trivarga; svarga on a divine vimāna, some manvantaras in Sūryaloka, and a return as a king of śānti (Chapter 47). The Trivarga Saptamī always gives the desired fruits of the trivarga (Chapter 104).
The guṇas. The Madhyama Parva says that dharma, artha and kāma are the trivarga, and in another way sattva, rajas and tamas in order. Sāttvika people truly progress, rājasa people reach a middle place, and tāmasa people reach low ground (Madhyama Parva, Bhāga 1, Chapter 1).
For the gṛhastha. The Uttara Parva says that the learned should do the works of dharma, artha and kāma, and that by achieving this trivarga the gṛhastha gains siddhi here and in the next world. Sadācāra gives the fruit of dharma, artha and kāma (Uttara Parva, Chapter 205).
Related terms: Dharma · Artha · Kāma · Purushārtha
Sources
- Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapters 4, 6, 8–9, 13, 47, 104; Madhyama Parva, Bhāga 1, Chapter 1; Uttara Parva, Chapter 205