Vāstu Vidyā

Vāstu Vidyā, “the science of building”

Vāstu vidyā is the sacred knowledge of building and of arranging space. It is also called Vāstu-śāstra, the traditional Indian science of building, which teaches how to plan a dwelling in harmony with the land and the directions.

It covers how to choose and test the ground, how to bless the building site through the Vāstu-maṇḍala (a sacred square grid with a devatā presiding over each part), the laying of the foundation stone, and the planning of temples, homes, palaces and towns.

The Agni Purāṇa gives the fullest account of all of this. Bhagavān Hayagrīva teaches Brahmā how to take possession of the ground, how to satisfy the devatās of the sixty-four squares with their offerings, how to dig and read the buried bones (śalya), and how to lay the stones and bricks of a temple of Śrī Mahāvishṇu. Parameśvara teaches Skanda the testing of the ground, the Vāstu-pūjā on maṇḍalas of 64, 81, 100 and more squares, the laying of the foundation stones Nandā, Bhadrā, Jayā, Riktā and Pūrṇā with their prayers, and the planning of houses and of whole cities. Bhagavān Hayagrīva also gives the reckoning of āya and vyaya (gain and loss) by which a house is measured, the kinds of houses by their halls (śālā), and the prayers to Nandā, Jayā, Pūrṇā and Bhadrā at the entry into a new house; and Agni Deva teaches Vasishṭha Maharshi the marks of good land, the vāstu-maṇḍala of a home and the trees that should grow around it. The Purāṇa says that no temple or other building may be raised without first satisfying these devatās, and that a city built in this way always gives victory, bhoga (enjoyment) and moksha.

Per Agni Purāṇa

The Vāstu-purusha-maṇḍala is a sacred square diagram used to bless the ground before any building is put up — a temple, a home or a well. In the Agni Purāṇa, the diagram shows the Vāstu-purusha, a great being of the universe, lying face-down inside the building site. Particular devatās (divine beings) preside over each part of the square grid, and they are honoured through the Vāstu-pūjā before and during building.

The Vāstu-maṇḍala is a map of sacred space. It is a ritual diagram that turns any plot of earth into an image of the order of the universe. The Agni Purāṇa (Chapters 92–93) makes the Vāstu-pūjā essential for any building, from the smallest home to the largest temple complex, and names the 45 (or more) devatās who preside over the various zones of the maṇḍala.

The teaching is given in several places in the Purāṇa. In Chapters 39 to 41 Bhagavān Hayagrīva teaches it to Brahmā, for the building of a temple of Śrī Mahāvishṇu. In Chapters 92 to 94 and 105 to 106 Parameśvara teaches it to Skanda (Kārttikeya), for the building of a temple, a house and a city. In Chapter 65 Bhagavān Hayagrīva tells of halls, houses and the entry into a new house, and in Chapter 247 Agni Deva tells Vasishṭha Maharshi the marks of vāstu for a home.

Source: Agni Purāṇa, Chapters 39–41, 65, 92–94, 105–106, 247

The Vāstu-Purusha

According to Chapters 92–93, the Vāstu-purusha is a being who fell to earth at the moment of creation. Brahmā and the other devas pinned him down, each one settling on a part of his body. He lies face-down (mukha adhaḥ, pādau ūrdhva: face downward, feet upward) inside the boundary of every building site:

• His bent legs and elbows point along the north-west to south-east diagonal.
• His joined feet rest in the south-west corner.
• His head is in the north-east (Īśāna) corner.
• His hands are folded in a cupped gesture (dōsili) at his chest.

Bhagavān Hayagrīva tells Brahmā how he came to be there (Chapter 40). In the past there was a great being (mahābhūta), terrifying to all creatures. The devatās buried him in the earth, and he is called the Vāstu-purusha. On his field of sixty-four squares the devatās of the squares are to be satisfied with offerings, each according to its place.

Parameśvara describes his form to Skanda (Chapter 93). The Vāstu-purusha has curly hair, and his form is like that of an asura. At the time of the pūjā he is remembered lying on his back, face upward. But when the foundation of the walls and the rest is being laid, one meditates on him as lying with his face turned down. His knees, elbows and thighs lie toward the north-west (vāyavya) and the south-east (āgneya); his feet, joined one to the other, are toward the south-west (nairṛti); his head is toward the north-east (īśāna); and his hands, joined in an añjali, rest on his chest. The devatās are mounted on his body, and to worship them brings auspiciousness.

The twelve marma-sthānas. Chapter 93 also names the twelve marma-sthānas (vital points) of the vāstu: Sama (as printed), Nāḍī-sampāta (the meeting of the channels), Mahāmarma, Kamala, Phala, Triśala, Svastika, Vajra, Mahāsvastika, Sampuṭa, Trikaṭi, Maṇibandha and Suviśuddha. All of these are to be honoured on the vāstu ground, on the walls and on the rest of the building.

Source: Agni Purāṇa, Chapters 40, 93

If building starts without first honouring the Vāstu-purusha, he brings disease, misfortune and ruin to those who live there. The weight of the building presses on different parts of his body, and he strikes back through the matching parts of the bodies of those who live in it. So the Vāstu-pūjā must be done before any foundation is laid.

The Maṇḍala of 45 Devatās

The Vāstu-maṇḍala for a temple uses a grid of 64 squares (8 × 8, catushshashṭi-pada). The maṇḍala for houses and cities uses 81 squares (9 × 9, called ekaśīti-pada). A still larger maṇḍala of 100 squares (śatapada) is prescribed for cities, villages and kheṭas (small towns), and one of 3,400 squares for a country or kingdom.

Drawing the maṇḍala of 64 squares (Chapter 93). After the temple (prāsāda) has been marked out with the cord, one makes sixty-four squares on a square, level piece of ground. Two diagonal lines (vaṃśa) are laid from corner to corner, and eight cords (rajju) are marked so that they run to the cross-corners, divided into lines of two squares and of six squares. On these the pūjā of the vāstu-devatās is done. Eight devatās are masters of the corners and sit in the eight half-corners. Marīci and the other devatās placed in order in the east and the other directions hold six squares each. Brahmā, in the middle of them, holds four squares. The remaining devatās hold one square each.

The devatās are placed like this:

• Brahmā occupies the central 4 squares (in the 64-square grid) or 9 squares (in the 81-square grid), the heart of the Vāstu-purusha.
• Eastern devatās: Rudra (Īśa, in the Īśāna corner), Parjanya, Jayanta, Mahendra, Sūrya, Satya, Bhṛśa and Antariksha, eight over the eastern squares.
• Southern devatās: Agni, Pūshā, Vitatha, Gṛhakshata, Yama, Gandharva-nātha, Bhṛṅgarāja and Mṛga, eight over the southern squares.
• Western devatās: the Pitṛ-devatās (ancestors), Dauvārika, Sugrīva, Pushpadanta, Varuṇa, Asura, Śesha and Roga, eight over the western squares.
• Northern devatās: Māruta, Nāga-devatā, Mukhya, Bhallāṭa, Soma, Caraka, Aditi and Diti, eight over the northern squares.
• Inner devatās around Brahmā: Marīci in the east, Vivasvān in the south, Mitra in the west and Pṛthvīdhara in the north, on six squares each; and in pairs in the four inner corners, Āpa and Āpavatsa (north-east), Savitā and Sāvitrī (south-east), Indra and Indraja (south-west), Rudra and Rudradāsa (north-west).
• Lesser corner devatās (1 square each): many smaller positions in the squares in between.

The offering given to each devatā suits its nature:

The offerings, quarter by quarter (Chapter 93). Parameśvara gives Skanda the offering for every devatā of the 64-square maṇḍala:

Then the four Mātṛkās are honoured outside the vāstu, in the four intermediate directions from the north-east round to the north-west: Carakī with meat and ghee, Vidārī with curd and lotuses, Pūtanā with meat and bile, and Pāparākshasī with bones, meat, bile and blood. Outside the four quarters, Skanda in the east receives rice (the dish is damaged in print), Aryamā in the south khicaḍi (rice and pulse cooked together) and a flower, Jambhaka in the west blood and meat, and Pilipiccha in the north red rice and flowers. To all the devatās of the maṇḍala a naivedya of kshīrānna (rice cooked in milk) is offered.

The offerings told to Brahmā (Chapter 40). Bhagavān Hayagrīva gives Brahmā the offerings in this order, for the field of sixty-four squares:

Outside the field, Carakī receives meat and ghee, Kumārasvāmī pulaga and blood, Vidārī red lotuses, Kandarpa a fruit and cooked rice, Pūtanā fruit and bile, Jambhaka meat and blood, Pāparākshasa bile, blood and bones, and Pilipitsa garlands and blood. Then the dikpālas beginning with Īśāna are offered blood and meat. When any of these things cannot be had, akshatas are offered. Bali is also given, as one wishes, to the rākshasas, mātṛkās, gaṇas, piśācas, pitṛs, kshetrapālas (guardians of the field) and others.

Source: Agni Purāṇa, Chapters 40, 93

How the Vāstu-Pūjā Is Done

The Vāstu-pūjā is performed on the site before building begins. The ācārya (officiating teacher) draws the Vāstu-maṇḍala on the consecrated ground. The steps are:

1. The maṇḍala is drawn on the purified earth with the right number of squares: 64 for a temple, 81 for a home or a city, 100 for a city, village or kheṭa.
2. All 45 presiding devatās (or the full set for the chosen type of maṇḍala) are honoured at their own squares with the offerings listed above.
3. The Vāstu-bali (ritual food offering) is prepared. Cooked food is shared among the workers who took part in the building; the workers themselves receive a portion.
4. At the four outer corners, outside the main maṇḍala, the four Mātṛkās — Carakī, Vidārikā, Pūtanā and Pāparākshasī — are pacified with meat, blood and bones so that they do not interfere.
5. In the four main directions outside the maṇḍala, Skanda (east), Aryamā (south), Jambhaka (west) and Pilipiccha (north) are each given their own foods.
6. The Vāstu-mantra is recited throughout.

A simpler method is also allowed: the whole Vāstu-maṇḍala may be honoured with kuśa grass, curd, akshatas (unbroken rice) and water, without separate offerings to each devatā.

The Purāṇa also says that when a temple (prāsāda) is built, the Vāstu-pūjā begins with pūjā at the “Suśobhana” position (the eastern gate) before the first stone is laid (śilānyāsa). The rite of laying the foundation stone (Śilānyāsa-vidhi, Chapter 94) follows the Vāstu-pūjā as the next step of building.

The fruit (phala) of doing the Vāstu-pūjā properly: those who live in the building enjoy health, prosperity and the blessing of the deity for whom the temple was built; the builder’s family line is purified; and no misfortune from disturbing the Vāstu-purusha can arise.

The rite before building (Chapter 40). Bhagavān Hayagrīva tells Brahmā that no temple or other building may be built without first satisfying these devatās with vāstu-homa, bali and the like. Then:

1. At the Brahma-sthāna (the central place), Śrī Hari, Lakshmī and the gaṇa-devatās are worshipped.
2. The Bhūmi (earth), the Vāstu-purusha and the kalaśas with their vardhanī (lid or small pot) are worshipped; in the middle of the kalaśa, Brahmā and the dikpālas are worshipped.
3. Svastivācana (the recitation for welfare) is recited, one bows, and the pūrṇāhuti (the final oblation) is offered.
4. The master of the house, holding a water vessel with holes in it, turns the stream of water along the line of the cord in clockwise circles, according to the rite.
5. Along the same path seven seeds are sown, and along the same path the digging is begun.
6. In the middle a pit one hasta wide and four aṅgulas deep is dug and smeared, and the pūjā is begun.
7. First one meditates on four-armed Śrī Mahāvishṇu and offers arghya with a kalaśa.
8. The pit is filled with water poured from a pitcher, and white flowers are put in it. Then the pit, turned to the right, is filled with seeds and earth.
9. With this the arghya-pradāna (giving of arghya) is complete. The ācārya is given a cow, cloth and the like; the jyotishka (astrologer) and the sthapati (master builder) are honoured as fitting; and the bhaktas of Śrī Vishṇu and Sūrya Deva are honoured.

Digging and the buried bones (Chapter 40). Then the ground is dug with care until water appears. If there are śalyas (bones) below the depth of a man, there is no fault for the house. If there are śalyas within that depth, the wall of the house will crack and the master of the house will have no happiness. Whatever animal’s name is heard while the digging goes on, the bone of that animal is to be known as lying there.

Before the maṇḍala in a temple of Bhagavān Śiva (Chapter 92). In the maṇḍapa the whole rite, from the pūjā at the door to the mantra-tarpaṇa, is done, and then the Ghorāstra-sahasra-yāga (the yāga of a thousand offerings with the Ghora-astra mantra). On ground levelled and smeared, the directions are fixed, and lines are drawn in clockwise order with gold, akshata and curd. Śiva is worshipped in a water-filled kalaśa standing in the north-east corner; then the vāstu-pūjā is done, and the crowbar and other tools are wetted with the water of that kalaśa. Outside the maṇḍapa the rākshasas, grahas and others are honoured and bali is given in the directions. When the auspicious moment (lagna) comes, the ground is first dug with the crowbar in the square of the south-east (Agni) corner; the crowbar is wetted and smeared with honey, the soil is thrown to the south-west, and the water of the kalaśa is poured into the pit. The ground and the tools are wetted again and worshipped.

Bhū-parigraha: taking possession of the ground. Bhagavān Hayagrīva tells Brahmā (Chapter 39) that after the ground has been purified, possession of it is taken. Bhūta-bali (an offering to the bhūtas) is given up to the boundary of the enclosure with black gram (māsha), turmeric, puffed grain, curd and barley flour. Reciting the eight-syllable mantra (ashṭākshara), one scatters barley flour in the eight directions, saying: “May the rākshasas, piśācas and others who live in this place go away from here. I am about to build a temple of Mahāvishṇu here.” Then the ground is ploughed and cows are made to walk over it. Parameśvara tells Skanda (Chapter 92) that for a city another kalaśa is covered with two cloths and placed on the shoulder of a brāhmaṇa. With the sound of instruments and of the Veda, he goes to the eastern boundary of the city, halts there a moment, and carries the kalaśa round the four directions of the city in clockwise order up to the north-east, wetting the boundary marks as he goes. This carrying of the Rudra-kalaśa round the city is the bhū-parigraha, and it is also called the arghya-dāna kriyā.

Source: Agni Purāṇa, Chapters 39–40, 92–93

Where It Is Used

The Purāṇa prescribes the Vāstu-maṇḍala for:

• Prāsāda (temples): a grid of 64 squares
• Gṛha (homes): a grid of 81 squares
• Kūpa (wells) and vāpī (stepped tanks): smaller grids
• Sabhā (assembly halls): as needed
• Nagara (cities) and rāshṭra (nations): grids of 100 squares or more

When an existing building is renovated (jīrṇoddhāra), the Vāstu-pūjā is done again before work starts.

The larger and smaller maṇḍalas (Chapter 93). Parameśvara tells Skanda:

• 81 squares, for houses, cities and the like: the lines of three and six squares are made as before. Īśa and the others hold one square each (the reading is not certain), Āpa and the others two squares each, Marīci and the others six squares, and Brahmā nine squares.
• 100 squares (śatapada), for a city, a village and a kheṭa: the two diagonals run to the corners, and they are called durjaya (hard to conquer) and durdhara (hard to hold). The devatās are placed as in a temple; Skanda and the others are on six squares, and Carakī and the others on five squares each.
• 3,400 squares (as printed), for establishing a country or kingdom (deśa, rāshṭra): Brahmā in the middle holds sixty-four squares, Marīci and the others fifty-four each, Āpa and the other eight devatās thirty-six each, Īśāna and the others nine each, Skanda and the others a hundred each, and Carakī and the others in proportion to these.
• 20,000 squares: the vāstu-pūjā may also be done on such a maṇḍala, with the placing of the devatās done nine-fold, as in the vāstu of a country.
• 25 squares: prescribed at the setting up of a certain structure (the word is damaged in print); its name is printed “Vatāla”.
• 9 squares: a maṇḍala of nine squares may also be used.

A square vāstu-maṇḍala is also prescribed in the middle of a hexagon, a triangle, a circle and the like. This vāstu is used for the pits dug for foundations, for the placing of the Brahma-śilā (the central foundation stone) and for the installation of a mūrti. Generally a vāstu-maṇḍala of five hastas by five hastas is made for all these works, but one made to the measure of the house or temple itself is always the best.

The 81-square maṇḍala for cities, villages and forts (Chapter 105). In cities, villages and forts, for the growth of houses and temples, a vāstu-maṇḍala of eighty-one squares must be made, and the vāstu-devatā pūjā must surely be performed on it. Ten lines facing east stand for ten nāḍīs (channels); nine names are printed: Yavatī, Kāntā, Viśālā, Prāṇavāhinī, Satī, Vasumatī, Nandā, Subhadrā and Manoramā. Ten more nāḍīs flow northward and divide the nine squares into eighty-one; nine names are printed: Hariṇī, Suprabhā, Lakshmī, Vibhūti, Vimalā, Priyā, Jayā, Jvālā and Viśokā. When the cord is thrown, the nāḍīs made of lines become manifest and are meditated upon. The devatās stand in groups of eight (ashṭaka), one group on each side:

• East: Īśa, a name damaged in print, Jaya, Śakra, Arka, Satya, Bhṛśa and Vyoma.
• South: Agni, Pūshan, Vitatha, Soma (as printed), Kṛtānta, Gandharva, Bhṛṅga and Mṛga.
• West: Pitṛ, Dvārapāla, Sugrīva, Pushpadanta, Varuṇa, Daitya, Śosha and Yakshmā.
• North: Roga, Appā (as printed), Mukhya, Bhallāṭa, Soma, Śaila, Aditi and Diti.

Brahmā is worshipped on the nine middle squares, and the devatās who hold six squares each on twenty-four squares. Between Brahmā and Īśa is Āpa, with Āpavatsa on the two squares below; after them Marīci on six squares. Between Marīci and Agni, on two squares, is Savitā; below, on two squares, Sāvitra; below that, on six squares, Vivasvān. Between the Pitṛs and Brahmā, on two squares, are Vishṇu and Indra, and on the two squares below, Indra and Jaya (printed “jamuḍu”). Between Varuṇa and Brahmā, on six squares, is Mitra. Between Roga and Brahmā, on two squares, are Rudra and Rudradāsa, and on the two squares below, Yakshmā. Outside the maṇḍala, in the corners beginning from the north-east, the bāla-grahas are worshipped in order: Carakī, Skanda, Vidārī, Vikaṭa, Pūtanā, Jambhā, Pāpā and Pilipiccha.

The 100-square maṇḍala (Chapter 105). On the hundred-square maṇḍala the pūjā of the devatās is as before. Brahmā is worshipped on the sixteen central squares; Marīci, Vivasvān, Mitra and Pṛthvīdhara on ten squares each in the four directions of Brahmā; and in the corners, Diti, Agni, Pūshan, Pitṛ, Pāpayakshmā and Roga on one and a half squares each.

Source: Agni Purāṇa, Chapters 93, 105

Testing and Purifying the Ground

Parameśvara tells Skanda (Chapter 92) that the ground for a temple must be tested. For brāhmaṇas, ground whose earth is white and has the fragrance of ghee is best; for kshatriyas, red earth with the smell of blood; for vaiśyas, yellow earth with a good fragrance; and for śūdras, black earth with the smell of surā. Ground that is low to the east, to the north-east or on all sides, and high in the middle, is praised. A pit one hasta deep is dug and filled back with the soil taken out of it: if soil is left over, the ground is excellent. The ground may also be tested with water and the like.

Ground defiled by bones, charcoal and such things must be thoroughly purified: by digging, by tethering cows and other animals on it, by ploughing it many times, and so on. The ground is purified in this way for building a city (nagara), a village (grāma), a fort (durga), a house (gṛha), a temple and the rest. Bhagavān Hayagrīva tells Brahmā (Chapter 39) that the ground is first purified and tested, and only then is possession of it taken.

Finding the śalyas. To remove the fault of buried objects (śalya-dosha), the ground is dug until stone or water is reached, and any bones and the like that are seen are dug out and removed. The signs at the auspicious moment show where they lie:

• If someone asks a question at that moment, and letters of the groups (varga) a, ka, ca, ṭa, ta, pa, sa and ha come from his mouth, śalyas are shown in those directions.
• Where birds and the like alight, śalyas lie there.
• In whatever limb the one performing the rite has a disorder, a śalya of similar kind is to be found.
• The entry of animals, their cries and the cries of birds show the direction in which śalyas lie.

The letters of the alphabet (mātṛkā) with their eight groups are written on a board or on the ground, and by the group, in order, the śalya is known in the directions from the east round to the north-east: the a-group shows iron in the east; the ka-group charcoal in the south-east; the ca-group ash in the south; the ṭa-group bones in the south-west; the ta-group bricks in the west; the pa-group potsherds in the north-west; the ya-group corpses, insects and the like in the north; the sa-group iron in the north-east; the ha-group silver; and the ksha-group harmful things in that same direction.

Source: Agni Purāṇa, Chapters 39, 92

Śilānyāsa: Laying the Foundation Stones

Śilānyāsa (the laying of the stones) is the step that follows the Vāstu-pūjā. The Agni Purāṇa gives it three times: for a temple of Śrī Mahāvishṇu (Chapter 41), as a limb of the pratishṭhā of a temple of Bhagavān Śiva (Chapter 92), and in its own chapter (Chapter 94).

For a temple of Śrī Mahāvishṇu (Chapter 41). Bhagavān Hayagrīva calls it the pāda-pratishṭhā, the consecration of the foundation.

1. A maṇḍapa is built, and on it four kuṇḍas (pits): the seats for placing the jars, the bricks, the door and the pillars. Three of the four parts of each kuṇḍa are filled with gravel and levelled, and on it the vāstu-devatās are worshipped.
2. The bricks laid in the foundation must be well fired, twelve aṅgulas long and four aṅgulas thick. If the temple is to be of stone, stones one hasta long are laid instead.
3. Nine kalaśas of copper or of clay are filled with water, with all herbs (sarvaushadhi) and with water mixed with sandal; gold, grains and the like are put in them, and they are worshipped with gandha and the rest.
4. With the water of these kalaśas the stones and bricks are wetted, while these are recited: the three ṛks beginning Āpo hi shṭhā, Śaṃ no devīr abhishṭaye, Taratsamandaḥ, the Pāvamānī ṛks, Ud uttamaṃ varuṇa, Kayā naḥ, Varuṇasyottambhanam asi, Haṃsaḥ śucishat and the Śrīsūkta.
5. The stones are placed in the foundation. Inside the maṇḍapa, on a bed, Śrī Mahāvishṇu is worshipped. In fire made by churning the araṇi, samidhs are offered with the twelve-syllable mantra; the āghāra and ājyabhāga oblations are made with Oṃ; eight āhutis are given with the eight-syllable mantra; and with the three vyāhṛtis (oṃ bhūḥ svāhā, oṃ bhuvaḥ svāhā, oṃ suvaḥ svāhā) oblations are offered to Agni, lord of the world, to Soma and to Śrī Mahāvishṇu. Then the prāyaścitta-homa is done, and the pūrṇāhuti is offered with black gram, ghee and sesame and the twelve-syllable mantra joined to Oṃ.
6. Facing east, the ācārya installs Padma and the other devatās on the kalaśas in the eight directions: Padma, Mahāpadma, Makara, Kacchapa, Kumuda, Ānanda, Padma (printed twice) and Śaṅkha; and on the central kalaśa, placed on a stone on smeared ground, Padminī. These kalaśas must not be moved.
7. Near them, from the east round to the north-east, one brick is placed at each, and on the bricks the śaktis beginning with Vimalā are installed, with Anugrahā in the middle. The ācārya prays: “O Ishṭakā Devī, daughter of Aṅgiras, the best of munis! Not one of your limbs is broken or deformed. You are complete in all your limbs. Now I install you.”
8. Then the garbhādhāna (the placing of the sacred deposit) is done in the middle. On a kalaśa Śrī Mahāvishṇu and Śrī Mahālakshmī are installed, with earth, flowers, minerals and gems near them. The deposit vessel, of metal, twelve aṅgulas across and four high, is worshipped. Pṛthivī is worshipped in a lotus-shaped copper vessel, and the ācārya prays to Bhūdevī, “ruler of all beings, shining on a seat of mountains, girdled by the oceans”, to take the deposit, and to Nandā, daughter of Vasishṭha, Jayā, daughter of Bhārgava, Pūrṇā, daughter of Aṅgiras, and Bhadrā, daughter of Kaśyapa Maharshi, to give joy, victory, the fulfilment of wishes and an auspicious mind, to delight in the house, and to increase the riches of the lord of the land, the lord of the town, the master of the house, the children and all who live in it.
9. The vāstu-kuṇḍa is wetted with cow’s urine, the deposit is placed in it, and the ācārya is given a cow, cloth and the like, and others are fed. With the deposit vessel and the bricks in place, the kuṇḍa is filled.
10. A pedestal (pīṭha) is built for the chief devatā by the height of the temple: the best pīṭha is half the width of the temple in height, the middle one a quarter less, and the least half the best. After the pīṭha is set, the vāstu-pūjā is done again.

The phala: even one who performs only the pāda-pratishṭhā is freed of all pāpa and enjoys bliss in Devaloka. All the bodily pāpas of one who resolves, “I will build a temple,” perish that very day. Even the fruit of one who builds a temple of eight bricks cannot be described; from this one may know the fruit of one who builds a large temple according to the śāstra. If the temple stands in the middle of the village or to its east, its door faces west; if in an intermediate direction, its door faces the village; if to the south, north or west of the village, its door faces east.

As a limb of the pratishṭhā (Chapter 92). Nine pieces of stone, each one hasta long, are sprinkled and driven into the earth with a mallet until three parts of their length have gone into the ground; then the pit is filled, smeared and levelled. The guru, holding the general arghya, worships the door-guardians of the maṇḍapa, enters by the western door, purifies himself, the kuṇḍa and the maṇḍapa, installs the kalaśa and the vardhanī, and worships the lokapālas and Śiva. Then with the yajamāna he goes to the bathing pavilion of the stones.

• The stones of the temple are named Dharma and the rest; their height is best at eight aṅgulas. Paving stones are square and one hasta long, and bricks are half the measure of the stones. In a temple of stone, stones are used; in a temple of brick, bricks.
• The nine stones or bricks are marked with the vajra and other signs, or five stones are marked with the lotus. The building of the temple is begun with the marked stone.
• The five stones are Nandā, Bhadrā, Jayā, Riktā and Pūrṇā, and their five treasure jars (nidhi-kumbha) are Padma, Mahāpadma, Śaṅkha, Makara and Samudra.
• The nine stones are Nandā, Bhadrā, Jayā, Pūrṇā, Ajitā, Aparājitā, Vijayā, Maṅgalā and Dharaṇī, and their treasure kalaśas are Subhadra, Vibhadra, Sunanda, Pushpadanta, Jaya, Vijaya, Kumbha, Pūrva and Uttara.

The stones are given a seat of Oṃ and purified with the astra-mantra; they receive a cleansing bath of earth, cow-dung, cow’s urine, astringent decoctions and scented water, then baths of pañcagavya and pañcāmṛta, and after the bath of scented water each stone is smeared with fruits, gems, gold, cow-horn water and sandal and covered with cloth. Given a golden seat and carried round the yāga-maṇḍapa, each stone is laid on a bed or on kuśa with the hṛdaya-mantra. On the stones the three tattvas are placed by nyāsa and worshipped: the Śiva-tattva with Rudra its lord, the Vidyā-tattva with Vishṇu its lord, and the Ātma-tattva with Brahmā its lord. In the nine-stone way, the eight mūrtis (earth, fire, the yajamāna, the sun, water, wind, the moon and ākāśa) and their eight lords Śarva, Paśupati, Ugra, Rudra, Bhava, Īśāna, Mahādeva and Bhīma are placed on each stone with mantras such as oṃ dharāmūrtaye namaḥ, oṃ dharādhipataye śarvāya namaḥ; then the lokapālas beginning with Ananta, with the nine bījas lūṃ, rūṃ, yūṃ, broṃ, trūṃ, jhaṃ, jhūṃ, hrūṃ, traṃ. In the five-stone way the lords of the mūrtis are Brahmā, Vishṇu, Rudra, Īśvara and Sadāśiva. The five kalaśas are installed; an enclosure of vibhūti, kuśa and sesame is made with the astra-mantra; homas of a hundred each are offered up to the pūrṇāhuti; and the five kalaśas, filled with ghee and honey, with the five lokapālas as their devatās, are worshipped. The devatās of the stones are meditated on as of the form of vidyā, freshly bathed, shining like gold, in bright garments and adorned. Last, a hundred homas each are offered with the astra-mantra up to the pūrṇāhuti, to remove faults of deficiency and to purify the vāstu ground.

The rite of Chapter 94. Parameśvara gives Skanda the śilānyāsa in order:

1. Outside the vāstu-maṇḍala, from the north-east, Carakī and the others are worshipped as before, with three homas for each devatā. Bhūta-bali is given, and the śilānyāsa is begun at a fixed, chosen lagna.
2. In the middle of the pit the ādhāra-śakti (the supporting power) is placed by nyāsa. An excellent kalaśa, consecrated with the mantra of Ananta, is set there, and on it, with the mantra laṃ pṛthivyai namaḥ (“laṃ, salutation to Pṛthvī”), a stone that is the very form of Pṛthvī is placed.
3. Around it, in the east and the other directions, eight kalaśas beginning with Subhadra are set up in pits of their own, with the ādhāra-śakti and the mantras of the lokapālas Indra and the rest. On them the stones Nandā and the rest are placed, and on the stones the quarters are divided and the eight devatās beginning with Dharma are installed, as mūrtis and marks of astras are set on walls.
4. The four stones Nandā and the rest are placed on the four kalaśas Subhadra and the rest in the four corners, and the four stones Ajita and the rest on the four kalaśas Jaya and the rest in the four directions.
5. Over all of them Brahmā and the all-pervading Maheśvara are installed, and one contemplates the path named Ākāśa in the middle of the temple. Bali is offered to all, and the astra-mantra is recited to remove the faults of obstacles.
6. In the five-stone way, the stone named Pūrṇā is placed in the middle on the Subhadra kalaśa, and the stones Nandā and the rest on the kalaśas Padma and the rest in the south-east and the other corners. If there is no middle stone, the four stones alone are worshipped with the feeling of a mother and installed.

The prayers to the five stones (Chapter 94).

• Pūrṇā: “O Pūrṇā, whose form is the gathering of all, you are Mahāvidyā, the daughter of Aṅgiras Ṛshi. Make everything in this rite of pratishṭhā complete.”
• Nandā: “O Nandā, you give delight to all beings. I install you here. As long as the sun, the moon and the stars shine in the sky, stay firm and content on this temple.” And again: “O Nandā, daughter of Vasishṭha, give living beings long life (āyus), the fulfilment of all wishes and Lakshmī. Staying firm in this temple, protect it with care.”
• Bhadrā: “O Bhadrā, daughter of Kaśyapa, always bring welfare to all the worlds. O Devī, always give us long life and the fruit of our wishes.”
• Jayā: “O Devī Jayā, always give us Lakshmī and long life. O Jayā, daughter of Bhṛgu, installed here, stay here and give the master of this house victory, aiśvarya (prosperity) and the like every day.”
• Riktā: “O Riktā, you destroy excess faults. Be the giver of siddhi and moksha. O auspicious one, your dwelling is in every place and time. O you whose form is Īśa, stay always in this temple.”

Having prayed thus, one meditates on the house as having the form of ākāśa and places in it the three tattvas by nyāsa. Prāyaścitta homas are performed according to rule, and the yajña is concluded.

Source: Agni Purāṇa, Chapters 41, 92, 94

Town Planning

The 81-Square Town Maṇḍala (Chapter 105)

Chapter 105 carries the principles of the Vāstu-maṇḍala from single temples to the planning of whole towns and cities (nagara). The standard town plan is based on the same 81-square grid used for houses, applied now on the scale of a city. Within this grid, particular zones are named, each with its presiding power.

The central zone (brahmasthāna) is kept for the king’s palace or the main temple. Around it, in rings, are the quarters of the four varṇas (social orders):

• The brāhmaṇa quarter in the north, with the yatis, siddhas and other puṇya-purushas
• The kshatriya quarter in the east
• The vaiśya quarter in the south
• The śūdra quarter in the west

Sacred wells, tanks and markets are placed in fixed positions according to the directional rules of the maṇḍala.

The text names zones such as padmaka (the lotus-patterned central zone), peṭhaka (a middle ring) and mahāpadmaka (the outermost ring). Each of the 45 presiding Vāstu devatās has his own square in this system, just as in the temple maṇḍala, and pūjā must be done for all of them before the city walls are laid.

Roads and the Devatās of the Directions (Chapter 106)

Chapter 106 sets out the road network of the town. The main roads (mahāmārga) run east–west and north–south and cross at the brahmasthāna, making a cross-shaped plan. Secondary roads (upamārga) run diagonally, linking the corners.

The crossings of these roads match the positions of the eight dikpālas, the guardian devas of the directions:

Shrines to these devas are set up at the matching crossroads.

The four gates of the city are set by the squares of the maṇḍala: the east gate faces the square of Sūrya, the south gate is near Gandharva, the west gate near Varuṇa and the north gate near Soma. At the east gate Lakshmī and Kubera are installed, and those who see the two gain the wealth of Lakshmī. Gaṇapati (Gaṇeśa), the remover of obstacles, is placed at every gate. Outside the city wall, in each main direction, the kshetrapāla (guardian of the fields) is worshipped to protect the fields and the land around.

The text also deals with where to place yāgas (grounds for yajña), śmaśānas (cremation grounds) and prisons. It places the śmaśāna in the south of the town. The king’s palace is set in the centre or in the northern half of the brahmasthāna.

The Purāṇa says that a town built strictly by the town maṇḍala will flourish, with prosperity, safety from enemies, good rainfall and the favour of the devas of all eight directions.

The city in Chapter 106. Parameśvara tells Kārttikeya the vāstu of a city “for the growth of kingdoms”:

• For a city, land of one yojana or half a yojana in extent is taken. The streets should be wide, and the city gate six hastas wide, so that elephants and others may pass in and out with ease.
• A city must not have a cut corner (chinnakarṇa), be broken (bhagna) or shaped like a half-moon; a city pointed like the needle of a vajra is also not beneficial. A city shaped like a bow, with one, two or three gates, gives peace (its name is damaged in print).
• Who lives where (first list): goldsmiths in the south-east; courtesans who live by dance in the south; actors, potters and fishermen in the south-west; chariot-makers, weapon-makers and sword-makers in the west; liquor sellers, workmen and servants in the north-west; brāhmaṇas, yatis, siddhas and other puṇya-purushas in the north; sellers of fruits and the like in the north-east.
• Second list: the commander of the army in the east; the armies in the south-east; the ācāryas who teach women the arts (kalā) in the south; bowmen in the south-west; the chief minister, the keepers of the treasury and workers in the west; the officers of justice, the leaders (nāyaka) and the dvijas in the north.
• Third list: kshatriyas in the east, vaiśyas in the south, śūdras and others in the west; physicians in different directions; horses; and the army on all four sides. Spies in the east, the śmaśāna (cremation ground) in the south, the cattle in the west and the farmers in the north. Mlecchas are given a place in the intermediate directions, or made to live in villages.
• A temple built in the west of the city faces east, one built in the east faces west, and one built in the south faces north. For the protection of the city, temples of Indra, Vishṇu and the other devatās are to be built. Cities, villages, forts and houses without devatās are enjoyed by piśācas, and they are afflicted by many diseases.

A city built in the way described always gives victory and grants bhoga (enjoyment) and moksha.

Where the temples of the devatās stand (Chapter 39). Bhagavān Hayagrīva tells Brahmā that the mūrti is installed facing the town; the back of the devatās must never be towards it. Temples should be built at tīrthas such as Kurukshetra and Gayā, or near a river. The best places in a town are: Brahmā’s temple in the middle; Indra’s in the east; Agni Deva’s and the Mātṛkās’ in the south-east; the bhūta-gaṇas’ and Yamadharmarāja’s in the south; Caṇḍikā’s, the pitṛ-gaṇas’ and the daityas’ in the south-west; Varuṇa’s in the west; Vāyu Deva’s and the nāgas’ in the north-west; Kubera’s in the north; and Caṇḍīśa-Maheśa’s in the north-east. A temple of Śrī Vishṇu may be built in any direction. A wise man must never make an existing temple smaller, nor build in its place a smaller one, an equal one or a deformed one. When a temple is built near another, a space twice the combined height of the two is left between them, so that neither is harmed.

Measures (Chapter 39). Bhagavān Hayagrīva gives the table of measures: 8 paramāṇus make a ratharēṇu; 8 ratharēṇus a trasareṇu; 8 trasareṇus a vālāgra (hair-tip); 8 vālāgras a likshā; 8 likshās the next unit (its name is damaged in print); 8 of these a yava-madhya (the middle of a barley grain); 8 yavas an aṅgula; 24 aṅgulas a kara (hand, hasta); and 28 aṅgulas a padma-hasta.

Maṇḍapas for yajñas (Chapter 105). A maṇḍapa thirty hastas long and twenty-eight wide is the abode of Śiva. Reduced by eleven each way, nineteen hastas by seventeen, it is called “Śiva”. One twenty-two hastas long (its width is lost in print) is called Sāvitra, and the width of other buildings is in proportion. The height of a wall is three times its lower course (upajaṅghā), which is its thickness. The passages (vīthī) of a temple are as wide as its inner chamber, or half or a quarter of it in some places, and the side passages are half the measure of the passage. In the temple called Bhadra the door-passage equals the passages; in the temple called Śrījaya the door-passage has no rear part.

Source: Agni Purāṇa, Chapters 39, 105–106

Houses: Halls, Rooms and the Āya Reckoning

Halls and houses (Chapter 65). Bhagavān Hayagrīva teaches the building of sabhās (halls) and houses. First the ground is examined, then the vāstu. A deva-sabhā (hall for the devatās) is built as one wishes, and devatās are installed in it as one wishes. It is built at a crossing of four roads in a city, or in a village and the like, never in a place empty of people. One who builds a deva-sabhā becomes free of pāpa, uplifts his whole lineage and enjoys bliss in svarga. For Śrī Hari a temple of seven storeys is built in the manner of a royal palace, and so too for the other devatās; temples for the devatās are of one storey up to seven.

A house is built with four, three, two or one śālā (hall or wing):

• Of the many kinds of three-śālā house (triśālā), the first three are the best; these must not be built in the north-east.
• A two-śālā house (dviśālā) joined with other houses on the south is always the best.
• In the south, a house of many śālās and the one-śālā house (ekaśālā) are also good; in the south-west an ekaśālā house is best.
• Of the kinds of ekaśālā house, the first two, named Dhruva and Dhānya, are the best. The fifth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, thirteenth and fourteenth kinds are causes of fear.
• The four-śālā house (catuḥśālā) is always the best, free of every defect.

A building must have no defect such as an obstructed doorway (dvāra-vedha), and no old materials, and it is established following the rites told for men and the method of pratishṭhā.

Āya and vyaya (Chapter 65). The āyas beginning with Dhvaja arise in the east and the other directions; the āya that falls in the intermediate directions is to be avoided. A house must not be built on a square where vyaya (loss) is greater, for then its expense will be greater; where āya (gain) is greater, no affliction comes. So one must see that āya and vyaya are in balance. The number of hastas of the length multiplied by the number of hastas of the width is the kararāśi. An ācārya skilled in the jyotisha-śāstra of Gargācārya multiplies it by eight and divides by seven: the remainder is the vyaya. Or the kararāśi is multiplied by seven and divided by eight, and from the remainder the āyas are fixed. The eight āyas, arising in the east and the other directions in order, are Dhvaja (banner), Dhūma (smoke), Siṃha (lion), Śvāna (dog), Vṛshabha (bull), Khara (donkey), Gaja (elephant) and Dhvāṅksha (crow).

Āya in Chapter 105. Parameśvara tells Skanda to measure the length and width of the body of the house by the hand of the master of the house, multiply by three and divide by eight; by the remainder the āyas from Dhvaja to Kāka (the crow) are known. Remainders of two, three, four, six, seven and eight give good and bad fruits accordingly. If the house’s āya is the fifth or the last, Kāka, the house destroys everything. Therefore, leaving the eight parts, a house built in the ninth part is auspicious, and in that ninth part the maṇḍapa is best, its length equal to its width or double it. In the market, rows of houses run from east to west and from north to south.

Kinds of houses (Chapters 105–106). A house built in this way fulfils all desires. A house has one, two, three, four or eight śālās. In a one-śālā house the śālā is on the south side and its door on the north. Two śālās are built on the west and the east, with doors facing each other. A four-śālā house has four doors, faces every side (sarvatomukha) and is auspicious for its master.

• Two-śālā houses: two śālās on the west, called Yamasūryaka; śālās on the east and north, called Daṇḍa; śālās on the east and south, called Pāta.
• Three-śālā houses: with no śālā on the east, called Suśeshatra (as printed), which gives buddhi (understanding); with no śālā on the south, called Viśāla, which destroys the family and causes great fear; with no śālā on the west, called Pakshaghna, which brings loss of sons and many enemies.
• In the city, by the kinds of śālā and of alinda (front veranda), the four-śālā house has 255 kinds, the three-śālā house four, the two-śālā five and the one-śālā four.
• In house vāstu and city vāstu there are twenty-eight alindas. With four and with seven alindas there are fifty-five kinds; with six alindas, twenty; with eight alindas, also twenty.

The rooms of the house. In Chapter 105, the eight houses beginning with Dhvaja, in order from the east, are: in the east the bath house and the anugraha house; in the south-east the kitchen; in the south the house for sleeping and for preparing rasas; in the south-west the weapons house; in the west the treasury for wealth and gems; in the north-west the grain house; in the north wealth, cattle and the rest; and in the north-east the house of dīkshā (initiation). In Chapter 106 the rooms on the vāstu ground are: in the east the room for adorning (śṛṅgāra-gṛha); in the south-east the kitchen; in the south the bedroom; in the south-west the weapons room; in the west the dining room; in the north-west the grain store; in the north the treasury; and in the north-east the shrine of the devatās (devatā-gṛha).

The fruits of the doors (Chapter 105). Each side of a house may have eight doors, and each door has its own fruit:

• East: fear, a woman, fickleness, victory, growth, loss, dharma, quarrel and want of wealth (nine are printed for eight doors).
• South: burning, sorrow, loss of friends, loss of wealth, death, wealth, knowledge of crafts and the gaining of a son.
• West: long life, saṃnyāsa, crops, wealth, peace, loss of wealth, wasting, enjoyment and the gaining of children.
• North: disease, pride, affliction, the chief place, wealth, long life, leanness and honour (part of this list is lost in print).

When to build and when to enter (Chapter 121). All months except Caitra, Jyeshṭha, Bhādrapada, Āśvina, Pausha and Māgha are good for beginning a house. The nakshatras Aśvinī, Rohiṇī, Mūla, the three Uttarās, Mṛgaśīrsha, Svātī, Hasta and Anurādhā, and days other than Sunday and Tuesday, are auspicious for beginning a house, a tank, a step-well (vāpī) and a temple. No work on a house is done when Guru (Jupiter) is in Siṃha, in gurvāditya, in an intercalary month (adhika-māsa), or when Śukra (Venus) is newly risen, about to set, or set. If grass and wood are stored in the five nakshatras from Śravaṇa, there come burning by fire, fear, disease, oppression by the king and loss of wealth. The entry into a new house (gṛha-praveśa) is made in Dhanishṭhā, the three Uttarās and Śatabhishak.

Gṛhapraveśa: entering the new house (Chapter 65). The householder, free of laziness, rises at dawn, bathes in water mixed with all herbs, and becomes pure. He bows to brāhmaṇas learned in jyotisha, feeds them sweet foods and has them perform svastivācana. Then, with his hands placed at his waist, he enters the house adorned with toraṇas (arches) and full kalaśas. With one-pointed mind, his hands joined before a cow, he recites the mantras that give increase:

1. “Oṃ, O Nandā, protected by Vasishṭha! Grant wealth, offspring and the rest, and increase my joy.”
2. “O Jayā, daughter of Bhārgava, who gives victory to the people! Make me rejoice in wealth and riches.”
3. “O Pūrṇā, daughter of Aṅgiras! Fulfil my wishes; make me one whose desires are fulfilled.”
4. “O Bhadrā, daughter of Kāśyapa! Make my understanding auspicious.”
5. “O Nandā, daughter of Vasishṭha, who gives joy to all! With all seeds and herbs, full of every gem, dwell joyfully in this beautiful house.”
6. “O Bhadrā, daughter of Kaśyapa Prajāpati! You are beautiful in every way, great and fortunate, keeper of the best vrata. Dwell joyfully in my house.”
7. “O Devī Bhārgavī Jayā! The best of ācāryas have worshipped you. Adorned with sandal and garlands of flowers, you give all the riches of the world. Move joyfully in my house.”
8. “O Pūrṇā, daughter of Aṅgiras! You are of unmanifest form.”
9. “O Ishṭakā Devī (Devī of the bricks)! Give me the things I desire; I ask you to stay in my house. You favour the ruler of the land, the masters of village and city, and the master of the house. Bring increase in my house of people, wealth, elephants, horses, cows, buffaloes and the rest.”

Source: Agni Purāṇa, Chapters 65, 105–106, 121

Vāstu for the Home (Chapter 247)

Chapter 247 (Part 3) carries the Vāstu teaching from temples and cities to building and caring for a single home (gṛha). Here Agni-deva speaks directly to Vasishṭha.

Choosing Good Ground

The Purāṇa teaches that the colour and nature of the soil show which varṇa will prosper on it:

Before the foundation is laid, a brāhmaṇa is to be honoured (brāhmaṇa-pūjā), and the ground must be checked to make sure it is free of śalya: buried bones, stones, charcoal or other inauspicious things. A kuṇḍa (fire pit) is set up on the purified ground.

The Vāstu-Maṇḍala of the Home

The chapter prescribes a vāstu-maṇḍapa of sixty squares for a home. At the centre, four squares belong to Brahmā. Around this centre, the four main directions belong to:

• East of the central four squares: Aryamā (the presiding devatā of the householder)
• South: Vivasvān (a form of Sūrya)
• West: Mitra
• North: Mahīdhara

In the corner directions:

• Āpa and Āpavatsa in the north-east (Īśāna)
• Sāvitṛ and Savitā in the south-east (Āgneya)
• Jaya and Indra in the south-west (Nairṛti)
• Rudra-Vyādhas in the north-west (Vāyavya)

The eight presiding devatās of the main and corner sides (along with the full list of devatās of the squares) are worshipped with the proper mantras before the foundation stone is laid.

Agni Deva gives the devatās of the sides too. Each direction has eight devatās, and of them the first and the eighth are the masters of the house (gṛhasvāmi) in the vāstu-maṇḍala:

• East: Parjanya first, then Karagraha, Mahendra, Ravi, Satya, Bhṛśa, Gagana and Pavana. Some put Antariksha and Agni in the south-east in place of Gagana and Pavana.
• South: Pūshan, Vitatha, Gṛhakshata, Yama, Bhṛṅga, Gandharva, Mṛga and the Pitṛs.
• West: Dauvārika, Sugrīva, Pushpadanta, Asura, Varuṇa, Pāpayakshmā and Śesha (seven are printed).
• North: Nāgarāja, Mukhya, Bhallāṭa, Soma, Aditi, Kubera (Dhanada), Nāga and Agni.
• In the south-west Mṛga and Sugrīva are installed, in the north-west Roga and Mukhya, and in the north-east Nāga and Karagraha are drawn.

In the east Sūrya and Indra are the best; in the south Gṛhakshata and one more (the name is damaged in print); in the west Sugrīva. At the north door Pushpadanta gives welfare, and Bhallāṭa is also called Pushpadanta. All these vāstu-devatās are worshipped with mantras and the foundation stone (śilā) is laid; then Nandā, Jayā, Pūrṇā and Bhadrā are worshipped.

Mantras for the Vāstu Devīs

The chapter gives the mantras for calling on the four main powers of the home (vāstu-śaktis) — Nandā, Jayā, Pūrṇā and Bhadrā — at the time of gṛha-pratishṭhā (the setting up of the house). Examples from the text:

• To Nandā (daughter of Vasishṭha): “O Nandā, make me rich in sons, grandsons and all good things. Rejoice in this dwelling!”
• To Jayā (daughter of Bhārgava): “O Jayā, grant victory to us who are born of you!”
• To Pūrṇā (daughter of Āṅgirasa): “O Pūrṇā, fulfil your own desires through this act!”
• To Bhadrā (daughter of Kaśyapa): “O Bhadrā, grant me an auspicious mind!”

The prayer goes on:

• “O Nandā, daughter of Vasishṭha! Sport in this lovely Nandana-vana, full of every seed and rich with all gems.”
• “O Bhadrā, daughter of Prajāpati! You have the best marks and the best vrata (the word is damaged in print). O daughter of Kaśyapa, dwell in this four-cornered place, which is the form of the earth.”
• “O daughter of Bhārgava, Devī! You give aiśvarya to the whole world. Worshipped by excellent ācāryas, adorned with sandal and garlands, dwell in my house.”
• “O Pūrṇā, daughter of Aṅgiras! You too, complete in every limb and free from harm, sport in my house.”
• “O Ishṭakā (brick)! I am performing the gṛha-pratishṭhā. Give me the enjoyments I desire. Increase men, wealth, elephants, horses and cattle for the ruler of the land, the master of the city and the master of the house.”

At gṛha-praveśa (the ceremony of entering a new home), the same foundation-stone procedure is performed again.

Trees Near the House

The chapter gives clear guidance on which trees to plant around the home:

• North of the house: rāvi (the aśvattha or pippala tree) — auspicious
• South of the house: udumbara (cluster fig) — auspicious
• West of the house: the maṭṭi tree — auspicious
• Left side of the house: an udyāna (garden) is recommended

The text then gives a longer teaching on caring for trees:

• How to water them in each season: twice a day in summer, at midday in winter, and in the rains only when the earth has dried
• How different kinds of prepared water — mixed with vāyuviḍaṅga, ghee, water from fish, powdered dung and various grains — nourish different trees
• How mango trees in particular benefit from kīṭa-śesha watering

In full, Agni Deva teaches: planted trees are watered in summer morning and evening, in the cold season at midday, and in the rains when the ground has dried. Trees are watered with cool water mixed with vāyuviḍaṅga and ghee; poured with cool water mixed with ghee, a tree is always full of flowers and fruits. Trees that have stopped bearing are watered with water mixed with horse gram, black gram, green gram, sesame and barley. Trees watered with water mixed with fish grow well. Powdered goat and sheep droppings, barley flour, sesame, cow dung and other manures are mixed with water and kept covered for five days; poured on any tree, this makes its flowers and fruits increase greatly. For the aśoka to blossom, the touch of a beautiful woman’s foot is good. The date palm, the coconut and the like grow well in water mixed with salt. Water mixed with vāyuviḍaṅga is a good nourishment (dohada) for all trees. A garden on the left side of the house makes it auspicious to dwell in.

This teaching on gardening shows the Purāṇa’s view that a well-kept garden around the home adds to the family’s well-being and good fortune.

The daily bali in the house (Chapter 264). In the householder’s daily offering, bali is given on the two sides of the door to Dharmamaya and Adharmamaya, in the middle of the house to Dhruva, outside the house to Mṛtyu, at the water-place to Varuṇa, inside the house to Kubera, in the middle of the house to Brahmā, and outside the house the bhūta-bali is given.

Source: Agni Purāṇa, Chapters 247, 264

Per Matsya Purāṇa

Gṛha nirmāṇa means “building a house”. Chapters 253 to 256 of the Matsya Purāṇa give an orderly teaching on home building.

These chapters cover the kinds of house (sorted by the number of halls and doors), the measurements and shapes of pillars, how to choose a site and plan its drainage, which timber to use, and the Āya–Nakshatra–Vyaya calculation that shows whether a planned building will be auspicious. This section is part of a larger body of Śilpaśāstra (the science of sacred art and building) in the Matsya Purāṇa, Chapters 253 to 269, which also covers temple building and the measurements of sacred images.

Kinds of House (Chapter 253)

Houses are sorted mainly by the number of śālās (halls) and by where the doors are placed. The basic kinds are:

Catuḥśālā (Houses with Four Halls)

Triśālā (Houses with Three Halls)

Dviśālā (Houses with Two Halls)

Six kinds are named, each with its own effects. Some are auspicious, and some need ritual remedies.

Size of the Main Hall by Rank

The Purāṇa sets exact widths, measured in mūras (a unit of measure), for the main living hall of a palace or house, scaled to the social rank of the person who lives there:

The ratio of length to width also changes with each rank, so the order of society is built into the very proportions of the rooms.

Pillar Measurements (Chapter 254)

The standard rule for the size of a pillar is:

Diameter of the shaft = (height × 7) ÷ 80

This rule makes sure that as a pillar gets taller its shaft becomes thicker in proportion, keeping the building both strong and pleasing to the eye.

Five Shapes of Pillar

Door Measurements

• Width: 68 aṅgulas (finger-widths) as standard
• Height: twice the width, that is, 136 aṅgulas

Vedha (Obstructions)

The chapter lists many kinds of vedha: obstructions in the building or its surroundings that harm the people who live there. Each kind of vedha, coming from a particular direction or caused by a particular obstacle, is linked with a particular harm, such as illness, poverty, quarrels or death.

Choosing the Site (Chapter 255)

Direction of Water Flow

The best site has underground water flowing north or north-east. The direction in which water naturally flows around and under a site has particular effects on the people who live there, and flows to the north and north-east are the most auspicious.

The Vāstu-Cakra

Before building begins, the vāstu-cakra (the sacred grid of the site) must be drawn according to the set rules. It divides the site into the standard grid of 81 padas (squares) or 64 padas, on which the rooms, halls and courtyards are laid out.

Four Kinds of Drainage

Drainage to the north (Sampūrṇa) is the best choice. Drainage to the south (Apasavya) must be avoided.

Rules for Extending a House

The text also gives rules for adding to a house in different directions: which direction to extend first, which second, and so on, and what effect each extension has on the household.

Choosing Timber (Chapter 256)

Auspicious Trees

Trees that are auspicious for building, for pillars, doors and beams:

Asana (Terminalia tomentosa), aśoka (Saraca asoca), madhūka (Madhuca indica), sarja (Vateria indica), sāla (Shorea robusta), candana (sandalwood), panasa (jackfruit) and devadāru (Cedrus deodara, the Himalayan cedar).

Inauspicious Trees

Nimba (neem, Azadirachta indica) and vibhītaka (Terminalia bellirica) should not be used as the main timber of a building.

The Āya Calculation

The Purāṇa gives a complete method for finding out whether a planned building will be auspicious, using three calculations.

Āya (Gain)

Multiply the length by the width and divide by 8. The remainder gives the āya:

The odd-numbered āyas (Dhvaja, Siṃha, Vṛshabha and Gaja) are good, and the even-numbered ones are inauspicious.

Nakshatra Calculation

Multiply the length by the width and by 8, then divide by 27. The remainder shows the nakshatra (lunar mansion) that rules the house.

Vyaya (Loss)

Divide the nakshatra remainder by 8. The remainder of this vyaya calculation shows the possible losses or difficulties linked with the project.

Gṛha-Praveśa (Entering the New House)

When building is complete, the gṛha-praveśa (house-entering) ceremony is performed with the proper mantras and steps, making the home holy and ready to live in.

Per Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa

Chapter 29 of the second part (Dvitīya Khaṇḍa) of the Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa gives Pushkara‘s teaching on Vāstu vidyā.

The chapter covers the Vāstu-maṇḍala of sixty-four deities (the grid of divine beings who watch over a building site), how to test and choose the ground for building, and the Śilānyāsa, the ceremony of laying the foundation stone, with its mantras and rites.

Why Buildings Follow a Sacred Pattern

Pushkara begins with the basic idea behind Vāstu vidyā: every building is the universe in miniature. The way a building faces, its proportions and the layout of its spaces either fit with the order of the universe or clash with it. A building made according to the principles of Vāstu draws prosperity, health and divine blessing. A building that breaks these principles creates a quiet but lasting disharmony that works against every effort of the people who live in it.

The final point of reference is Bhagavān Vishṇu as the Viśvarūpa, the universal form whose body is the whole universe. The directions are parts of his body, and the sixty-four Vāstu-devas are expressions of his rule, which reaches everywhere. A building consecrated through Vāstu-pūjā becomes a place where Bhagavān Vishṇu dwells.

The Vāstu-Maṇḍala of Sixty-Four Deities

The Vāstu-maṇḍala is a square grid divided into sixty-four smaller squares (eight by eight). Each small square is watched over by a particular deity. The grid is lined up exactly with the cardinal directions.

The main deities and their places:

• Brahmā: the four central squares (the exact centre of the building)
• Aryamā: north-east
• Āpa: north
• Diti: west
• Yama: south
• Agni: the south-east corner
• Vāyu: the north-west corner
• Nirṛti or Rākshasa: the south-west corner (the least auspicious; it should be a storeroom or a place for heavy things, never a pūjā room)
• Īśāna (Śiva): the north-east corner (the most auspicious; the ideal place for the home shrine or pūjā room)

The full system of sixty-four deities gives guidance for placing every room and working area in the building. Each room should sit in the zone of the deity whose nature suits what the room is used for.

Testing the Ground (Bhūmi-parīkshā)

Before building begins, the ground must be tested.

The colour test: A small pit is dug where the centre of the building will be, and the colour of the soil at the bottom is checked:

• White soil: prosperity for brāhmaṇas; suitable for a brāhmaṇa’s home or a temple
• Red soil: military strength; suitable for a kshatriya’s palace or fort
• Yellow soil: success in trade; suitable for a vaiśya’s house or a granary
• Black soil: seen as inauspicious for any building meant to be lived in

The water test: The same pit is filled with water and covered for one day. If the pit still holds water after a day, the ground keeps moisture well, which is good for wells and gardens. If the water drains away completely within an hour, the soil is too loose and the building will be prone to sinking.

The smell and taste test: The soil should smell clean: earthy but not foul. If the soil near the surface smells of decay, it shows that bodies or waste were buried there in the past, which is inauspicious.

Śilānyāsa: Laying the Foundation Stone

Timing: The Śilānyāsa must be done on an auspicious day: under a fixed nakshatra (lunar mansion), namely Rohiṇī, Uttarāshāḍhā or Śravaṇa; on a bright tithi (lunar day), Dvitīyā or Tṛtīyā; and in an auspicious lagna (rising sign).

The order of the rite:

1. The Vāstu-maṇḍala is drawn on the ground with white powder (rice flour or chalk)
2. The sixty-four deities are invited into their squares, each with its own mantra
3. The Vāstu-purusha (the being who embodies the site) is invited into the central space; the whole maṇḍala is understood as the body of the Vāstu-purusha
4. Flowers, fruits and incense are offered to each deity
5. A kalaśa (sacred pot) is placed at the exact centre of the future building; it holds gold, gems, particular herbs, pure water and an image of Vishṇu
6. The head of the household (or the king, for royal buildings) lays the first stone, with particular mantras
7. The gathered brāhmaṇas chant the Purusha-sūkta as the first stone is set
8. The kalaśa is buried beneath the central point of the building, where it stays as a lasting consecration

After the Śilānyāsa: Brāhmaṇas are fed. The workers who will build are paid their first instalment and blessed. The Vāstu-devī is honoured with pūjā again at each important stage of building.

The Royal Palace (Rāja-gṛha)

Particular guidance is given for a king’s palace:

• It must face east or north, never west or south
• The throne hall (sabhā) must be in the northern half of the palace
• The private rooms are at the centre
• The treasury is in the north or north-east
• The kitchen is in the south-east (the realm of Agni)
• The store of weapons is in the south (the realm of Yama, tied to military power and death)
• No place of sorrow, such as a prison or a hospital, should be in the north or east

Sources

• Agni Purāṇa, Chapters 39–41, 65, 92–94, 105–106, 121, 247, 264
• Matsya Purāṇa, Chapters 253–256
• Vishṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa, Uttarārdha (Dvitīya Khaṇḍa), Chapter 29