Purushartha and Dharma

Purushartha means the four legitimate aims of human life: dharma, artha, kama and moksha. Shreyas is the ultimately good, while preyas is merely pleasant in the moment, and Indian ethics asks us to choose shreyas even when preyas tempts us. For example, a student who studies steadily rather than binge-watching before an exam chooses shreyas over preyas, and dharma is what keeps artha and kama from becoming self-destructive.