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CHAPTER ONE
The Subject matter under Investigation
Infinite is the number of living beings and all without exception desire happiness. And even though not all share the same notion of happiness it is possible to divide into two classes the living beings and the happiness appropriate to them-keeping in view the lesser or greater development attained by these beings. The first class comprises those beings with a lesser development whose notion of happiness is confined to but external means. On the other hand, the second class comprises those beings with a higher development who, not identifying happiness with the acquisition of external or physical means, identify it with the attainment of meritorious spiritual qualifications alone.
Here the happiness envisaged by one class differs from that envisaged by the other in that the former is dependent on what is other than oneself, the latter dependent on oneself alone.
The happiness dependent on what is not oneself is called kāma or worldly enjoyment, that dependent on oneself alone mokṣa or disentanglement from worldliness. Kāma and mokşathese two alone are the possible puruṣārthas or goals of human aspiration, for nothing save them can be a thing chiefly aimed at by a being. Thus when artha or economic possession and dharma or religious conduct are enumerated among the puruṣārthas they are viewed not as something chiefly aimed at but as means of kāma and mokṣa respectively. Certainly artha is the chief means of kāma, dharma that of moksa. The treatise under consideration
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