The Four Aims
Puruṣārtha (Sanskrit: पुरुषार्थ) — from puruṣa (person, being) + artha (goal, purpose) — the goals that beings pursue. Indian philosophical tradition identifies four:
- Dharma — righteous duty, ethical living, religious observance
- Artha — material welfare, wealth, security
- Kāma — pleasure, desire, aesthetic enjoyment
- Moksha — liberation from saṃsāra
Moksha as Supreme
While all four are legitimate human pursuits, Vedānta — and particularly Śrī Vaiṣṇavism — identifies moksha as the para-puruṣārtha (supreme aim), because only moksha is permanent. Dharma, artha, and kāma are temporal; moksha alone transcends time. Seeking the lower three at the expense of moksha is compared to choosing a lump of coal over a diamond.
The Highest Moksha
In Viśiṣṭādvaita's hierarchy, even among conceptions of moksha, the highest is kaivalya < sālokya < sāmīpya < sārūpya < sāyujya. And beyond formal liberation categories: the ideal of the Śrī Vaiṣṇava prapanna is kainkaryam — eternal, loving service to Śrīman Nārāyaṇa — rather than any form of personal liberation-as-attainment.
Pirāṭṭi's Role
Śrī (Pirāṭṭi/Mahālakṣmī) is the purushakāra — She who ensures that souls seeking refuge reach the Lord and achieve the puruṣārtha. Her recommendation to the Lord on the prapanna's behalf is what makes the attainment of moksha certain.