VASTU SHASTRA

Prepared by Jawad Sajid

Prepared On First of June Two Thousand Sixteen

VASTU SHASTRA • It’s a traditional Hindu system of architecture, which literally translates to "science

of architecture."• These are texts found on the Indian subcontinent that describe principles of

design, layout, measurements, ground preparation, space arrangement and spatial geometry

• Vastu Shastras incorporate traditional Hindu and in some cases Buddhist beliefs.• The designs are intended to integrate architecture with nature, the relative

functions of various parts of the structure, and ancient beliefs utilizing geometric patterns, symmetry and directional alignments.

• Vastu Shastra are the textual part of Vastu Vidya, the latter being the broader knowledge about architecture and design theories from ancient India.

• Vastu Vidya knowledge is a collection of ideas and concepts, with or without the support of layout diagrams that are not rigid.

• Rather, these ideas and concepts are models for the organization of space and form within a building or collection of buildings, based on their functions in relation to each other, their usage and to the overall fabric of the Vastu.

 

• Anyone will agree to the fact that we, humans, spend most of their time inside a building be it our home, office or anything else. It’s also a fact that all things in the universe have a level of energy associated with them. Hence it’s apt to say that all buildings and even the land on which a building is erected has vibrations of energy associated with it.

WHAT IS VASTU SHASTRA• In simple terms we can say that, Vastu aims to make harmonious buildings at

places in tune with mother-nature, so that the human inhabiting the building, lives well balanced and happy life.

• Like many of India’s ancient science and knowledge, Vastu Shastra also got neglected and received very less attention over centuries, hence today’s fast paced society has very limited or no knowledge of Vastu and find it difficult to appreciate and use the benefits of Vastu while purchasing/constructing home, office, shop etc.

HOW DID VASTU SHASTRA ORIGINATE?In ancient India, people believed house as a living organism and treated constructing a house as sacred ceremony. Also, they named the spirit dwelling in the house as Vastu Purusha. Why? It’s because of an ancient Indian story of Vastu Purusha

. 

• As per Vastu Shastra, different directions belong to different Gods that supervise respective sectors of the house. • For example, God supervises Eshan or North-East direction and hence is best

suitable for prayer room; • Agni (Fire element) supervises South-East direction and hence is best suitable

for Kitchen.• This means that if various sections and activities related to each section of a

house, office, shop etc. stick to principles of Vastu Shastra then, we start to draw the power of nature effortlessly and achieving goals is easy, spontaneous and effortless.

• Many rules of Vastu Shastra are simple common sense as they relate to ventilation, amount and quality of sunlight a building receives etc. But some principles of Vastu Shastra relate to energy field of earth and subtle energy fields in natural and constructed environments. Also, people living/working in such buildings have appreciated and verified the effects of these fields.

VASTU SHASTRA AND LINK TO THE UNIVERSE• As we all know that Sun is the most important celestial body which radiates light

and heat and is the reason for existence of life on earth; that’s why Sun is known as the “Soul of Universe” in ancient Indian texts. The principles of Vastu Shastra allow humans to use limitless energy of Sun in best possible way.

• The earth, which is our planetary home, is like a mother and is a treasure-house for all comforts and happiness which a human cannot find anywhere else. Guidelines of Vastu Shastra enables human to draw on all-embracing role of mother earth for best results.

  BENEFITS OF VASTU SHASTRA• Many factors govern the life of a human being; his fate, karma and Vastu of the

place where he lives and work. Apart from karma of a person, fate and Vastu affects life’s quality. If the Vastu is poor but the fate of a person is good then results obtained can range from poor to mediocre; where as if the Vastu is good and fate is unfavorable then the ill effects are minuscule.

VASTU DIRECTIONS• Orientation of a building is important to save energy and to build a better house

design, which would be comfortable for living simultaneously gives positive energy, good health, prosperity, and wealth to the occupants. A living place and its direction have a correlation between the rotational scenarios of the planets with respect of north.

• There are total eight directions North, South, East, and West are called cardinal directions and the point where any of the two directions meet is called inter cardinal or ordinal point like NE, SE, SW, NW. These directions are given a lot of importance in Vastu Shastra as they combine the benefits of two directions in totality

East: This direction is governed by lord Indra and he is known to be the king of Gods. He bestows wealth and pleasures of life.

South East: This direction is governed by lord of fire- Agni. He gives us good personality and all good things of life. Fire is a source of health as it is related to fire, cooking and food.

South: This direction is of Yama, the god of death. He is manifestation of dharma, and eradicates evil forces and bestows good things. It is a source of wealth, crops and pleasure.

South West: This direction is directed by Niruti, the god who protects us from evil foes. It is a source of character, demeanor, case of longevity and death.

West: This direction is directed by Lord Varun, the lord of rains. He bestows his blessings in the form of natural water-rain, brings prosperity and pleasures of life.

North West: This place is directed by lord Vayu and he brings on us good health, strength and long life. It is a source of change in course of business, friendship and enmity.

North: This direction is governed by Kuber, the god of wealth.

North East: This place is a supervised by lord Eeshaan, and is a source of wealth, health and success. He brings us wisdom, knowledge and relieves us from all miseries and mishaps.

ELEMENTS OF VASTU SHASTRA• Vastu is a science of direction that combines the five elements of nature and

cosmos, ultimately balancing with man and the material.• This mysterious science unifying the five elements called ‘Panchbhootas’- earth,

fire, water, sky and space and paving a way for enlightenment, happiness and prosperity.

FIVE ELEMENTS• According to Vastu, the cosmos is full of beneficial energies which we must learn to

tack as well as keep in balance if we wish to experience a state of well-being. • Energy is essentially emanated by two forces- the five elements and the electro-

magnetic energy generated by the rotation of earth. • Earth is a third planet among the nine planets and the only place where life exist

due to the presence of panchbhootas. • Sun, air and space are universally available and can be moulded in accordance

with human needs by the act of design. To thoroughly understand the act of design with these five elements we need to discuss all these elements briefly in a separate manner:

EarthThe first and foremost element of nature which exerts maximum energy. It is necessary to consult the land you are purchasing, as plot’s soil, area everything matters in Vastu. The selection of site is considered very important in Vastu element. A detailed inspection of soil, plot, site, shape and size has to be done before commencing the construction. Earth (prithvi) is the most important element in Vastu and influence human lives in every way.

WaterWater (jal) is present on earth in the form of rain, ocean, sea and rivers. It is the second foremost element considered in Vastu. Vastu provides proper directions for the placement of water sources. Water is an element of north-east. As far as the flow of domestic water is concerned, it should be drained out of north-east only. The water bodies such as swimming pool and aquarium etc. need to be made in north-east, this direction is auspicious and suitable for water

FireFire (Agni) is considered as an element of south-east. In a house kitchen fire or electrical gadgets shall be place in south-east. Light is the essence of life, and sun is the natural light giver. Fire is the basis of all sources of energy including thermal power and atomic power. There should be proper ventilation for sunlight being necessary and natural source of light for human beings.

AirAir (vayu) is a necessary thing for all of us living on this earth. In Vastu air is another important element which is considered before applying it. Air is an element of north-east. Air consists of various gases on earth like oxygen, nitrogen, helium, carbon dioxide etc. A balanced percentage of different gases, atmospheric pressure and humidity level are important for living beings on this earth. There are important directions for windows and doors in Vastu so as to receive a good amount of air. SpaceSky is never ending and our space is full of constellations, galaxies, star, moon, sun and all the nine planets. It is also called universe which is known as ‘Brahamand’- the place of god. Space has a very important place in our lives and Vastu gives different directions for better space. Indian houses used to have open space in the center of the house. Akash is a brahmasthan which should be an open place, any disturbance related to space in house would lead to detrimental results.

VASTU FOR APARTMENT/FLATBefore purchasing a flat or apartment some basic things must be considered to make things going right. Vastu recommend some essential tips regarding construction and direction of flat or apartment while if you are interested in existing flat then Vastu offers rules regarding existing flat as well.There are some best permissible directions in which mirror can be placed without a hitch to avoid any miss happening in the relationships and behavior. Placement of mirror should be in accordance with Vastu norms to reap the good benefits. Here are some essential tips & norms attached to the placement of mirror or glass: • Construct or choose a flat/apartment having entrance in North, East or North-west.

Avoid main door in South, South-west or South-east.• Avoid purchasing flats with cuts in North-east or South-east direction.• Drainage pipes should have their way in West, North or North-west.• Slope of balcony should be towards the East or North.• Check out the North-east corner of flat as this portion must be converted

into worship room or left open.• Kitchen should be in the South-east direction.• Check or construct over-head tank in South-west and underwater tank in North-

east.

• No flat or apartment can be completely Vastu compliant as there are many faults and defects in every plot. However these faults whether in a newly buy plot or existing flat can be corrected with measures and remedies 

WHY ONE SHOULD FOLLOW VASTU?Vastu considered the interplay of various forces of nature involving the five elements of earth, water, wind, fire and ether and strives to maintain equilibrium as these elements influence, guide and change the living styles of not only human beings but every living being on earth. Thus they influence our deeds, luck, behavior and other basics of life.

Vastu Shastra is the sublime elucidation of your surrounding and their influence on your life. Vastu literally means " house" or Dwelling Place and its principles establish to create a harmony between the fine elements viz. Earth, Sky, Fire, Water and Air in the environment. Vastu Shastra unifies the science, art, astronomy and astrology, it can also be said as an ancient mystic science for designing and building. Vastu Shastra helps us to make our lives better and will secure from things going wrong.

Vastu Shastra is an ancient building science which covers the philosophy and theory of Architectural works to construct any building and as well as living style of people. Vastu Shastra is based on various natural energies, which are available free cost in atmosphere like:• Solar Energy from Sun. Lunar Energy from Moon• Earth Energy• Sky Energy• Electric Energy

• Magnetic Energy• Thermal Energy• Wind Energy• Light Energy• Cosmic EnergyUtilization of such energies gives us pleasure peace, prosperity and money etc in our life. Now a days we are having National Building code, which gives us certain regulations to construct building, whereas in past our ancestors were having Vastu Shastra as a religious & rigourics code. As per Vastu Shastra Purush is god of building science, hence let us pray. Thus Vastu is rational, as it is scientific, it is permanent as it is based on directions and directions are unchangeable. It is beneficial as it is a bridge between man, material and nature and above all it is practical, as it is very simple to follow. Build your house according to the guidelines provided by Vastu and lead a healthy and happy life.

• Vastu can be used for every room, every house, every temple, every shop industry, town planning, tour, cities and even for earth. Vastu can be used for micro as well as for macro level.

• Every creature on earth starts its life with sunrise as it performs day & night. Hence there is much importance of sun in every one life. It gives ultra violet rays in morning and infra red rays in evening which one basic need to reduce / generate bio-chemical germs, N2/ Oxygen / CO2 on earth.

• Sun indicates light (illumination) will power, generosity, solar system, luck or fate, mobility and in body. It rules over bone, eye, heart, spinal cord, blood circulation and soul etc. Hence east direction is auspicious; it belongs to lord Indra. North is considered auspicious since magnetic lines of forced moves from North to South, thus origin of all the life.

• There are three forces in action to create harmony. Wind, water and fire or, vaayu, jal and Agni. If these forces are kept in their appropriate places, then there will be no disturbance. But if water is put in place of fire and wind in place of water or in any other combination, the forces will start acting accordingly and create disharmony and un peacefulness

AUTHENTICITY OF VASTU The biggest Proof of Vastu Shastra can be found during the time of Ramayan and Mahabharat. Even in the cities of Mohanjodaro and Harappa the application of Vastu Shastra can be seen. Since the science goes far back to the times of Lord Rama and Lord Krishna there are many interesting mythological stories concerning the origin of Vaastupurush (the deity)

• If you consider it a mythological fact then here are the most unbelievable examples that Vastu is a science and one must follow it wholeheartedly.

• Geographical situation of an area affects the nature thus the Vastu for every place changes. We see that some countries are much advanced, developed and prosperous while others are much backward. For e.g.

Japan, existence of deep water in North and the East is considered most auspicious according to Vastu Shastra. The eastern side of Japan is widely spread and open. Thus Japan gets full benefit of the rays of the sun. This is why Japan is rich and prosperous. There is sea in Southeast and south of Japan, which is a place for Fire, this is why it suffered the attack of atom bombs explosion and earthquake.

If we take Africa as a continent, we all know the northeastern corner of this continent is interjected. Northwest portion is projected, southeast and south have unlimited water, these all conditions are inauspicious according to Vastu, that's why African countries are backward, uneducated, poor. But on the contrary, in the north of this continent, there exists Mediterranean Sea, which is favorable according to Vastu. In the eastern part, river Nile flows and that's why civilization developed in Egypt and now Egypt got name and honor for its world famous pyramids.

Why to go far, lets discuss our own INDIA, we know we have the Himalayas in the North and Northeast side of our country which is against Vastu, thus there is lot of poverty in our country. There is water in Southwest and southeast side of our nation, thus we have to face the attacks of foreign empires. One thing that makes India famous is that we have our slope towards east, which is a very favorable and auspicious signVASTU CHART FOR ROOMS