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१६८ a patriarchical society, as it has been viewed by the modern Anthropology, rather, a basically different approach appears in the religions towards marriage which not only grant a high degree of sanctity to the institution of marriage, but infuse a much-wider meaning, value and scope in the notion of family. Instead of a purely materialistic, highly individualistic and grossly consumerist and essentially pragmatic approach adopted towards the notion of faimily, all the true religions offer an alternative approach spiritually sound, socially enlightened and experientially inspired by high values of love, self-sacrifice, compassion and self-restrain etc. Especially in India, family has been viewed as the very basis of all social, religious and spiritual life apart from its being a basis for human love as well as economic welfare. Entire Indian religious literature emphasizes the importance of four goals of life to be attained - namely - Dharma, Artha, Kāma as well as Moksa. They are to be pursued simultaneously and none of them can be ignored. Mahābhārata declares --
Dharmărthakamaḥ samameva sevyaḥ
Yo hyekaśaktaḥ sa jano jaghanyaḥ Dharma (religious, moral and ethical pursuits), Artha (economic and social goals), Kāma (the pursuit of love) the Moksa (the highest spiritual goals of realization of release from the cycle of death and rebirth) has to be pursued with equal emphasis and simultaneously. The one who engages himself in the pursuit of only one of them is the worst and, hence, censurable. Family life or the life of the Householder (Gșhastha or Śrāvaka) is the basis of all the individual as well as social activities for the realization of Dharma, Artha and Kāma. Thus, family has been viewed as the smallest socio-religious unit for the realization of the goals of human life in their totality. In individual sphere, household life should ultimately lead for one's own spiritual goal of Mokșa and in social sphere it must provide service towards all others including the Śramaņas or the Sanyāsins who have renounced the world. Thus, household or family life is the basis of society in its entirety.
This is the reason why ten-fold universe Dharma has been taught as the bedrock of the ideal family. These ten aspects of Dharma are essentially the same in Vedic as well as Śramana traditions Jain
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