The young Rama has questions about the ego and the Atma. The sage explains there are three types of ego, the first is the most deleterious to the spiritual seeker. The common belief of individuals is that as soon as they are born they are led to believe that the world around them is ‘real’. The influence of habits and desires is strong and is overcome with devotion.
purushartha in sri yoga vasistha
Question 5: What is Purushartha
Ramji asks ‘What is purushartha?”. Vasishtha replies that purushartha is the wealth obtained from personal self discipline and practice. Purushartha refers to the great goals of life. One of which is realisation of the Atma (soul) within. This is explored in commentary on these questions.