There are 4 life goals for Hindus

In his Tiruvachagam, Manickavachagar says that Lord Siva taught the four sons of Brahma the Vedas and the four Purusharthas. There are four Purusharthas - artha (wealth), kama (desire), dharma (righteousness) and moksha (liberation). These may be said to be the four goals of all mankind.

There are other references in Tamil literature to these goals, elaborated K.Sambandan, in a discourse. Avvaiyar, in fact, defines each of the four Purusharthas for us. She says that wealth is that which is earned without doing wrong. A bee gathers honey from flowers, but in the process, no harm comes to the flower. In fact, the very act of gathering honey is beneficial, because the bee helps in pollination. According to her, kama is the love that a man and woman have for one another when their viewpoints are compatible and they are supportive of one another. The ideal relationship is one like this. Avvaiyar asserts that part of dharma is sharing one's wealth with others. Avvaiyar claims that moksha is obtained by thinking only of Him and becoming indifferent to everything else. According to Tholkappiyar, after enjoying family life, we should physically and spiritually separate ourselves from this materialistic existence by moving to a forest and by focusing solely on God.