Vastu Shastra
The traditional Indian science of building: how a site, a house and its rooms are placed in harmony with the directions and the elements. Its classical texts are the Mayamata, the Manasara and Brihat Samhita chapter 53.
- Vastu Shastra
- हिंदी: वास्तु शास्त्र
What is the rule behind Vastu Shastra?
The eight directions and their guardians and grahas: East Indra, Sun; South-east Agni, Venus; South Yama, Mars; South-west Nirriti, Rahu; West Varuna, Saturn; North-west Vayu, Moon; North Kubera, Mercury; North-east Ishana, Jupiter; Brahma at the centre.
Source: Mayamata
Where can you learn about Vastu Shastra?
Related terms
- DikpalaThe guardian of a direction. Eight dikpalas guard the eight directions, each with a graha: Indra the east, Agni the south-east, Yama the south, Nirriti the south-west, Varuna the west, Vayu the north-west, Kubera the north and Ishana the north-east. Brahma holds the centre.
- Ishana (north-east)The north-east, named after its guardian, with Jupiter as its graha. It is the zone of water and prayer, kept the lowest, lightest and most open part of the house. A missing north-east corner is the most serious fault a plot can have.
- Pancha BhutaThe five elements, each with its zone in a plot: water in the north-east, fire in the south-east, earth in the south-west, air in the north-west and space at the centre. A room belongs in the zone of the element it uses, such as the kitchen in the south-east.
- Vastu PurushaThe being the texts describe lying face down on every plot, head in the north-east and feet in the south-west. The gods who hold him down each guard a part of the plot.
- Vastu Purusha MandalaThe plot drawn as a grid of squares called padas: 64 (8 × 8) for temples or 81 (9 × 9) for houses. In the 81-pada mandala Brahma holds the nine central padas and 32 devatas guard the outer ring, 45 devatas in all.
- BrahmasthanaThe centre of the plot, its central padas, which belong to Brahma. It is kept open, free of pillars, beams, toilets, stairs and heavy loads. Traditional houses left it as a courtyard; in a flat, a clear central space serves the same purpose.
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What does Vastu Shastra mean in Vastu Shastra?
The traditional Indian science of building: how a site, a house and its rooms are placed in harmony with the directions and the elements. Its classical texts are the Mayamata, the Manasara and Brihat Samhita chapter 53. The eight directions and their guardians and grahas: East Indra, Sun; South-east Agni, Venus; South Yama, Mars; South-west Nirriti, Rahu; West Varuna, Saturn; North-west Vayu, Moon; North Kubera, Mercury; North-east Ishana, Jupiter; Brahma at the centre.
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