VASTU SASTRA
Dr. Raman’s 96th Jayanti was on 8th August of this year. I dedicate this article to my most respected and revered father Dr. B.V. Raman, the doyen of Vedic Astrology and the Founder Chairman of Indian Council of Astrological Sciences. The sapling he planted years back has not grown into a National Tree with its branches allover India.
It is indeed heartening to know that the Noida Center of ICS is having its First Convocation and Seminar this month. I wish the excellent and dedicated team all success.
Vastu Sastra saw its resurgence in 1995 when Dr. Raman conducted the First All India symposium on Vastu. It was indeed a momentous occasion as I could play very significant role in the success of this conference.
Vastu relates to the Vedas or the Hindu books of knowledge which are said to appourusheya or that which cannot be dated. Vastu is said to be a minor Veda of Atharva Veda, one of the four Vedas. It is also known as Sthapatya Veda or the science of architecture.
Vastu is an integral point of Jyotisha or Vedic astrology. While Jyotisha is said to said to be a Vedanga or a limb of the Vedia, Vastu is said to be a Upaveda or a minor Veda. In fact. I feel Vastu is better called a ``Upayoga’’ Veda for its practical utility in one’s life. While Jyotisha help one to plan his or her future, Vastu Sastra helps one to put this plan into practical action.
While the basis of Jyotisha is time personified at Kala Purusha, the basis of Vastu Sastra is space personified as Vastu Purusha.
Vastu is both a science and art and aims at making human habitation not only a thing of beauty and joy but more importantly, it provide in the long run a level of comfort, deliht and happiness to the inhabitants.
The principles of Vastu as enumerated in classical texts are universally applicable irrespective of race, religion, caste, creed and place. These principles can be adapted to suit modern conditions of living and habitation.
Vastu is a boon to the modern world that enables you to open the doors to a happy living and positive thinking and elevates the general quality of your life. Vastu is a practical science that puts optimism in you and makes you say `I can’ in any circumstance.
Vastu dates back to the pre-Ramayana and the Mahabharata periods. The epics contain description of cities with multi storeyed buildings with spacious balconies and porticoes. In the Mahabharata, mention is made of a number of houses that were built for the kings who were invited to Indraprashtha for the Rajasuya Yajna of king Yudhistira.
References are also found in Buddhist literature, of buildings constructed n the basis of Vastu. Many Puranas such as Shanda, Agni, Matsya, Garuda, Narada, Vayu, Brahmanda and Linga deal with Vastu fairly extensively. The Brihat Samhita exquisitely deals with residential and temple architecture. The various Agamas also give much useful information on architecture. Notable among them are Kamikagama, Karnagama, Suprabhedagama, Vaikhana-sagama and Amsumadbheda-gama. Certain works on Tantra such as Kirana Tantra and Hayaseersha Tantra contains much information on architecture. Other treatises like Kautilya’s Arthasastra and Sukra Neeti dwell on structural aspects of architecture.
Some of the notable works on the science of dwelling are Viswakarma Prakasha, Mayamata, Manasara and Samarangana Sntradhara.
Glory of Indian Architecture:
Indian architecture was seen in its glory during the reign of the Guptas, Pallavas, Cholas, Pandyas, Chalukyas and most importantly, during the period of the Vijayanagar empire.
It was during the reign of these kings that great temples and temple-towns were built. Their outstanding contributions include the temple-town of Madurai which houses the Meenakshi temple complex in its center, the temples of Mahabalipuram (near Chennai) and Siva temple at Kanchi, the imposing Tanjavur Brihadeeswara temple, the temple complex of Chidambaram, the temples of Hampi and the Chennakesava temple at Belur and Halebidu.
The wealth, grandeur and the engineering skills of the Indians are very much reflected in the forts, palaces and temples of India such as the Fort of Agra, Red Fort of Delhi and the Golconda Fort of Hydrabad, the Jaipur and Mysore palaces and the gigantic temples hewn out of the huge rocks of Elephanta, Ellora and Ajanta.
The classical works referred to above speak of a set of formulae called Ayadi Shadvarga. Every site and building is said to have life and hence, has to be built to perfect proportions based on certain formulae. When a building is so constructed, it contributes to the health, harmony and happiness of the residents.
The science of Vastu takes into primary consideration the energies radiating from the four directions viz., North, East, South and West. It explains in simple but in an effective manner the selection of site, construction of a residence, apartment, business complex, hospital complex, educational complex, temples and temple complexes, homes for the senior citizens and handicapped, etc. as well as the placement of various rooms in these buildings. It also extends to such fields as construction of ports, townships and cities.
Vastu is more than the science of architecture. It also encompasses the science of cosmology, astronomy, metaphysics, geography and geology. The cosmological aspect is best illustrated by observing the solar system. In the vast universe, apart from the earth that we live in, there are many other systems, including planetary systems, which influence or impact human lives. The astronomical aspect is best demonstrated by the Ayadi shadvarga or six formulae that are used in defining the various measurements of temples and residences.
The metaphysical aspect is best understood when one becomes aware of the importance of drawing the Vastu Purusha Mandala or plan before a building construction is initiated. The Mandala symbolizes the metaphysical principle of the all-encompassing celestial energies. Coming to the geographical and geological facets of Vastu Sastra, the ancient texts saw the importance of studying the topography of the land and the surroundings apart from studying the whole universe with its array of starts, planets, continents, rivers, seas, mountains etc. The examination of soil in terms of sound, touch, smell, taste and color highlight the geological aspects of this great science. In a nutshell, under the umbrella of Vastu Sastra, information and knowledge from a variety of subjects are included.
A high degree of precision is used in measurements, the smallest unit being the Paramanu or the atom. The Angula and the Hasta are the standard nits of measurements for buildings and Idols. Ayadi Shadvarga or Six-Force formulae are used to orient the building properly and arrive at the correct dimensions. The compatibility of the Nakshatra of the building to the Nakshatra of the owner or resident of the property is of prime importance. Muhurtha at four stages of construction play an important part in giving the residents of a building peace and prosperity.
Vastu Sastra can also be defined as the science of energy that turn into material form.
Einstein’s theory E=MC2 is reflected in this ancient science. The cosmic energies are converted into material benefits for the residents of the Vastu based home. Vastu Sastra helps us to live in harmony with Nature. It converts living spaces in a particular order that sets an equation between cosmic energies and the people living in the building to ensure physical, spiritual and material well being. It creates a rhythm and balance in the building to ensure a qualitatively better life for the inmates.
Although deeply concerned with the Panchamahabhootas or the five primary elements of Nature viz., earth, water, fire, space and wind and their balancing, it takes in to congnizance the various other known and unknown cosmic energies. The ancients deeply understood these energies and tried to harness their positive influences on human life by a methodical placement of doors and windows, rooms, hearths and ovens, water bodies, open space in and around a building, landscaping etc.
The ancient masters on Vastu had tremendous knowledge of engineering and other sciences. Varahamihira talks about the different building materials like sila or stone and ishtika or brick. Much importance is laid on the strength and stability of the house when he says that the thickness of the wall should be 1/16th the width of the house. The recommendation of a certain thickness of the wall was, perhaps, based on the fact that the lord distribution of bricks was through comprehensive or load bearing strength and not tensile strength that is negligible.
Varahamihira also tells us it is auspicious to have the same height as the breadth of the house. Could this means that he was not only emphasizing the aesthetic beauty of a building but also saw the necessity of a proper and optimum distribution of loads acting on the wall?
A building becomes majestic if it has massive supporting pillars. The strength aspect is emphasized when Brihat Samhita says that the thickness of the main beam should be the same as that of the pillar. The pillars are described as being divided into several parts, each part being carved with various designs and few at the bottom being worked in gold. Here, apart from the strength of the pillars the aesthetic beauty is brought into focus. There is also the mention of minor beams relating to the modern secondary and tertiary beams.
Let us consider the general Vastu theory that the North and East should be free and open. The morning rays of the Sun are a known source of positive energies and probably, our seers wanted these rays to flood the house and benefit the immates. It is also precisely for this reason that the bathroom where one takes one’s bath every morning, is also recommended in the East. Similarly, the placement of the shrine in the North-east and the kitchen in the South-east were also related to the fact that the morning rays are as much required by the house-wife in the kitchen as by the elders in the shrine.
Similarly, the location of water bodies in the North-east could, perhaps, be related to the need of having water available near the fire ovens in the South-east kitchen in case of any fire hazards.
Another aspect of the scientific thinking of our ancients in reflected in the position one is supposed to sleep.
When lying down with your head to the south, the magnetic poles of your head and feet will attract the South and North Poles of the earth respectively, thereby preserving natural the polarity of the body and consequently contributing to better health.
Hospitals, nursing homes, mental asylums etc., can expect to have faster recovery of their patients if they insist that the patients lie with their heads to the South.
The Vastu Mandala or grid is given importance not only for the structure but also for certain daily activities like sitting for food etc.
Every human being has a definite energy pattern or vital force around his body, normally called the aura. Depending on the evolution of each individual, this energy-flow round the body is weak or strong. The ancients felt that whenever a person sat for food within a square traced on the floor (or a wooden peeta or platform) without touching his neighbor, the aura or the vital force would not be disturbed. The non-disturbance of the aura would actively assist in proper digestion of food, thereby keeping the individual in good health.
Many traditional families even to this day, squat on the floor and have their food sitting in a pre drawn Mandala, not touching each other.
The same reasoning can be extended to explain why most Indian prefer to do the Namsakaram rather than shake hands with others.
Natural Calamities :
The recent natural calamities (earthquakes, tsunamis and cyclones) in Pakistan, Indonesia, the coastal belts of Sri Lanka and India and earlier in Gujarat and in Orissa have left lakhs dead and homeless. Many of these people are yet to put their lives and properties together.
Were our ancient masters who laid down the laws of Vastu not aware of the destructive powers of such natural calamities? Did they not think of these phenomena when they wrote their texts?
They did think of earthquakes, tsunamis, cyclones and other natural calamities when they gave us information about ways and means of construction. They spoke of soil evaluation before construction began. They believed that a foundation of a building was much more than a combination of bricks, mortar, concrete, steel etc. They felt that laying a foundation was a symbolic homage to Mother Earth by man and every possible care to strengthen it was necessary.
Foundations :
They particularly talked about depth of a foundation (bhumilamba). In fact ancient treatises on Vastu Sastra have customarily advised a foundation that is equal to a man’s stature plus his length of hand. Today’s engineers tell us that six to seven feet of foundation is necessary for a normal height building to be firm and secure. Our masters also highlighted the importance of the base (adhishtana) being as high as the foundation.
They spoke of the importance of pillars and columns in making building strong. They talked about decreasing heights for each floor of the building. We notice that ancients built multi-storeyed building such that the height of each floor slowly reduced they went up. In fact Brihat Samihta of Varahamihira tells us that each floor should be less than the floor below it by 1/12th of its height. They may have deduced that during an earthquake or other natural calamities such a building could sway but not fall.
Spacing out buildings:
Our ancients while speaking of buildings have highlighted the Paisacha zne of a Mandala. They divide an area into four concentric zones. The inner zone is Brahma, the next is Daiva, the third zone is Manushya and the fourth zone is Paisacha.
They have very clearly specified construction on the Daiva and Manushya zones and totally disapproved of construction on the Paisacha. To apply this to present times, we need to construct the building away from the compound so that it does not touch the neighbour’s wall.
Modern Engineering tells us that adjacent buildings should be separated by sufficient distance to prevent hammering each other in case of seismic disturbances!
Shapes :
Another important uncompromising thumb rule of our masters of wisdom was in respect of the shape of a structure. Our ancient writers have invariably recommended square, rectangular, circular and other regular shape, Irregular shapes have been prohibited. The square (Chaturasra) is the fundamental, essential and perfect form of Indian Architecture. A square presupposes the circle and in fact results from it. Expanding energy shapes the circle from the center and then establishes itself in the shape of a square. In a square, the primary elements of Nature (Pancha Mahabhootas) are also said to be in perfect balance. The Chaturasra, because of its perfect shape is considered sacred and superior in Indian Architecture. We find today’s engineering principles telling us that geometric shape like squares and rectangles disperse seismic forces equally in all directions and are therefore safe in the case of natural calamities. Irregular shapes result in uneven distribution of forces thereby making buildings prone to collapse!
The principles are applicable to the modern changed conditions of living and habitation and this ancient science of Vastu Shastra can also be rightly called the Modern Age Science.
- Arrange furniture and equipment in an area to balance the primary elements viz., Space, Water, Earth, Fire and Wind.
- Orient to the cardinal directions i.e. North (Uttara), East (Purva), South (Dakshina) or West (Paschima).
- Check orientation based on your astrological sign.
- Avoid orientation to the angular directions i.e. North-east (Eashanya), South-east (Agneya), South-West (Nairutya) and North-west (Vayuvya).
- Have a compound wall on all the four sides.
- Create a depression all along the boundary wall within the site by creating a green belt or flower path.
- Elevate the building to three feet above road level.
- De-activate the ``Paisacha zone (of negative energies) by keeping the compound walls away from the main building.
- Mahadwara or the main door lets in the Pranavayu or the primary energies into terrestrial habitation. Select dimensions of the door to allow proper flow of these energies into the buildings.
- Keep the center of your building free of depressions, pillars, columns, pollution and water.
- The center or the north-east of an area is ideal for a prayer room.
- Young men can occupy the south, east and south-east rooms while young ladies can occupy north, west or north-west rooms.
- Elders, sleep with your heads to the South and youngsters with your heads to the East. Turn to the right as you get up from your bed.
- Patients and sick members of your family can expect better health by occupying the east and North-east rooms.
- Masters of the house get strength by occupying the south and south-west rooms.
- Avoid the lunar months of Jyesta, Ashada, Bhadrapada, Ashwiyuja, Margasira, Pushya and Phalguna while laying the foundations of a building or a layout.
- Lay your bore or dig a well/sump or create a swimming pool when the constellations Revathi, Uttarabhadra, Hasta, Anuradha, Makha, Sravana, Rohini and Pushyami are rising.
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Activate finances and domestic happiness by a proper placement of the primary element Udaka or Water.
Shri Niranjan Babu Bangalore
CEO and Publisher, Astological Mazgzine