The Four Goals of Family Life

This book has been produced to respond to a general shortage of available reading matter on marriage and relationships from ancient classical sources. In the present climate of high divorce rates, leading to a sad increase in broken families, there are lessons to be learnt from ancient societies that flourished and prospered on the basis of stable marriages and united families. For householders of today it can be a tough challenge to simply maintain a family and keep it together in harmony. Both husbands and wives could sometimes benefit from some divine inspiration and guidance.

This book focusses specifically on the Aryan civilisation of ancient India, which was prominent on the world stage until it began to decline approximately five thousand years
ago. The Four Goals of Family Life is a guide book for married or betrothed couples who are interested in pursuing harmony, ethical living, and spiritual culture. While the reference material is drawn from the Vedic tradition, the book is nonsectarian in as much as it is not limited in relevance to any particular ethnic group or religious denomination. Vedic knowledge is meant to be applicable to everyone and is not limited by time or space.

The four goals of family life are identified in Vedic philosophy as dharma (religious principles, or righteous action), artha (economic development), kama (gratification
of the senses), and moksha (spiritual liberation). To pursue the four goals is to lead a balanced life in which material and spiritual progress are both valued.

Review

Rich with authentic quotes from the scriptures and thoroughly researched with commitment and passion, this book is meant for the reader who is looking for the eternal
truths about marriage and family life. It is a must-read for any serious couple who are looking for a spiritually-based family life of togetherness. I highly recommend this book,
not just to couples, but to pastors, priests, teachers, family therapists, marriage counselors and congregational leaders of any denomination or religious belief. --Dr. Lakshmi Dajak, MD, PhD (Louisiana) Marriage and Family Therapy.

 

I congratulate Jagannathesvari prabhu on her outstanding achievement in presenting to the world a comprehensive guide to family life, based on the inspired teachings of the Vaishnava tradition. Importantly, she emphasizes the need for mutual respect between husband and wife, consistent with the example found in Vaishnava scriptures. Good families are the essential basis of a good society, and so this intelligent, devoted guide to family life is an invaluable service in the great attempt to save planet Earth. --Howard J. Resnick PhD (Harvard) Sanskrit and Indian Studies. Former Professor, Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, and University of Florida.

 

The Four Goals of Family Life is essential reading for any devotee considering marriage and starting a family. Many long married devotees will also benefit from reading this
text, as it presents the recipe for success in marriage and family life, recognizing the need for balancing the demands of material life with the pursuit of spiritual growth and
realization. I offer my thanks to Jagannathesvari devi dasi for dispelling the myths and reclaiming the spiritual basis of marriage and family life. She brings honor and respect to the many devotees committed to the wellbeing of their families in the service of Krishna. This in itself is an impressive achievement. --E. Burke Rochford, Jr. Professor of Sociology and Religion Middlebury College, USA Author of Hare Krishna Transformed and Hare Krishna in America

 

Jagannesthesvari Devi sets out to inspire readers with the spiritual vision of Vedic marriage infused with a sense of divine, sacramental purpose. It will therefore be of great
value to married couples seeking guidance and to devotees seeking to nurture the next generation in the values of Vedic culture. However, scholars and students of religions
will also be grateful to Jagannathesvari Devi for gathering together dispersed material from Swami Prabhupada's various translations and purports. She gives valuable and
illuminating insights into Prabhupada's understanding of the ideals and role models that should regulate the grhastha ashram, and correspondingly his often critical attitudes to the changes in marriage that have taken place in the modern world. --Dr Anna S King, University Reader, Theology and Religious Studies, University of Winchester. Convenor: Spalding Symposium on Indian Religions. Editor: Religions of South Asia (ROSA).

 

The Four Goals of Family Life is a superb, useful application of Vedic philosophy and Vaisnava culture to marriage and family. With thorough research and practical organization, guided by knowledge handed down by her spiritual teacher, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Jagannathesvari Dasi leads us through the challenges and intricacies of grhastha-asrama. Her experience and insights help us reach a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of Swami Prabhupada's teachings and how we may actually live them. This is an invaluable book for readers interested in Vedic knowledge and for anyone committed to imbuing family life with spiritual value.
--Carl Herzig PhD, Professor of English, St. Ambrose University, Iowa, USA.

Book specifications

Hardbound cover, 376 pages, size: 14 x 19.50 x 3cm, one picture sections - 8 photos. Printed at Thomson press Tlt, India. ISBN: 978-0-9566888-0-4