Vaastu Shastra (Vaastu- physical environment and Shastra- knowledge/ text/ principles. The 't' in both the words is dental. Also spelled Vastu) is one of the traditional Hindu canons of town planning and architecture. These canons are codified in texts such as Manasara Silpa Shastra (by Manasara), Mayamatam (by Maya), Viswakarma Vaastushastra (by Viswakarma), Samarangana Sutradara (by Raja Bhoja), Aparajita Praccha (by Viswakarma's son Aparajita) and Silparatna. Other treatises such as Agni Purana and works by Kautilya and Sukracharya are not popular even though they preceded the previously mentioned documents. Distinction of style exists due to each documents place of origin. Mayamata and Mansara Silpa Shastra are considered Dravidian because they are from south India whereas Viswaskarama Vaastu Shastra is considered Aryan due to its north Indian origin. Vaastu Shastra deals with various aspects of designing and building living environments that are in harmony with the physical and metaphysical forces/ energies of the cosmos such as the gravitational, electromagnetic and supernatural. Building practices based on limited interpretations of these principles are still sustained in specific areas of India.
Though Vastu is conceptually similar to Feng Shui in that it also tries to harmonize the flow of energy (Also called Life-force, and Prana in Sanskrit, similar to Chi in Chinese) through the house, it differs in the details, such as the exact directions in which various objects, rooms, materials etc are to be placed.
Components of Vaastu Shastra
All places of dwelling are termed Vastu however the actual physical manifestation of the dwelling is called Vaastu. There are four categories of Vaastu-
- The earth/ site- Bhoomi, the principal dwelling place on which everything else rests
- The structures on the earth - Prasada
- Movable objects (vehicles) - Yaana
- Furniture- Sayana
As these categories suggest, the principles of Vaastu Shastra extend from the macro level to the micro level- site selection, site planning and orientation, zoning and disposition of rooms, proportional relationships between the various parts of buildings and the character of buildings.
Vaastu Purusha Mandala
The Vaastu Purusha Mandala is an indispensable part of Vaastu Shastra and constitutes the mathematical and diagrammatic basis for generating design. Purusha refers to energy, power, soul or cosmic man. Mandala is the generic name for any plan/ chart, which represents the cosmos metaphysically/ symbolically, a microcosm of the universe.
In Hindu cosmology the surface of the earth is represented as a square, the most fundamental of all Hindu forms. The earth is represented as four cornered with reference to the horizon's relationship with sunrise and sunset, the North and South direction. It is called Chaturbhuji- four cornered- and represented in the symbolic form of the Prithvi Mandala. The astrological charts or horoscopes(Rasi, Navamsa, etc.,) also represent in a square plan the ecliptic- the positions of the sun, moon, planets and zodiacal constellations with reference to a specific person's place and time of birth.
The Vaastu Purusha Mandala is a specific type of mandala used in Vaastu Shastra. It is the metaphysical plan of a building/temple/site that incorporates the course of the heavenly bodies and supernatural forces.
The legend of the Vaastu Purusha is related thus. Once a formless being blocked the heaven from the earth and Brahma with many other Gods trapped him to the ground. This incident is depicted graphically in the Vaastu Purusha Mandala with portions allocated hierarchically to each God based on the contributions and positions in performing this act. Brahma occupied the central portion - the Brahmasthana- and other Gods were distributed around in a concentric pattern. There are 45 Gods in all including 32 outer Gods.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6e/Vaastu.jpg
The principal Gods/ presiding deities of each direction (called the ashtadikpalar) are:
- Northeast- Eeshanya- Ruled by Lord of all quarters or Eeshwara Siva (Religions,Luck and Faith)
- East- Aditya- Ruled by Sun God - Aditya (Seeing the world)
- Southeast- Agni- Ruled by Lord of Fire - Agni (Energy Generating)
- South- Yama- Ruled by Lord of Death - Yama (Damaging)
- Southwest- Pitru- Ruled by ancestors (History)
- West- Varuna- Ruled by Lord of water (Physical)
- Northwest- Vayu- ruled by Lord Of Winds (Advertisement)
- North- Kubera- Ruled by Lord of Wealth (Finance)
- Centre- Brahma- Ruled by Lord/Creator of the Universe (Desire)
The Vaastu Purusha is the presiding deity of any site. Usually he is depicted as lying on it with the head in the Northeast and the legs in the Southwest but he keeps changing his position throughout the year.
