What it does
Lets a practitioner trace every principle to its original source.
Explanation and notes
Samarangana Sutradhara (11th century, two parts): town and building Vastu, construction muhurta, land energy checks, devtas, land selection, garbh vinyas, shilanyas and walls, with the rule that no wall or floor is built without plumb line and level. Mayamatam: temples and houses. Skanda Purana: town planning, the place of temples and ponds, and which people, by work, rashi and planets, live in which direction. Agni Purana: residential Vastu. Vayu Purana: building at heights, such as hill forts and temples, which applies to high-rises. Garuda Purana: when, where and with what material temples are built. Vishwakarma Prakash puts the condition of the land before direction in its opening chapters, gives land testing methods, stresses muhurta and the four controlling factors, and lists the offerings for the 45 devtas at the 32 doors. Aparajita Prichha (12th century). Praman Manjari by Sutradhar Mal (12th century): Vastu by measurement (aay) for small homes. Vastu Rajvallabh and Prasad Mandan by Mandan Sutradhar (15th century, the peak period of Vastu); Prasad Mandan covers stone temples (prasad) and the importance of bhav. Vastu Mandan (15th century): home and town Vastu and the marma points. Shilpa Ratna (16th century): types of land and their correction with minerals. Acharya Jaysen's Pratishtha texts describe land selection, matching the Geo Vastu view of 70 percent land energy and 30 percent orientation. Other texts, many held in libraries at Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram, include Griha Vastu Sar (angular division, nirdosh Vastu, Vastu chakra), Vastushastra by Bhoj Dev, Vastu Manjari, Vastu Ratnavali, Vastu Paddhati, Vastu Tilak, Vastu Saukhya, Manasara and Vastu Sutra. The eighteen renowned Vastushastris of this age include Bhrigu, Atri, Vasishtha, Vishwakarma, Maya, Narada, Nagnajit, Vishalaksha, Shaunaka, Garga, Aniruddha, Shukra and Brihaspati.
During the battle with Andhakasur a drop of sweat fell to the earth and produced a being whose rampage made the earth shake. Brahma had him lie face down and promised that he would be worshipped with offerings and that not an inch of land would be built on without remembering him.
Every house, however small, carries the Vastu Purush's eyes, nose, ears, hands, feet, heart, navel and other parts, including the marma and ati-marma (vital) points. A column, pit or stud on these points harms the occupants, just as a speck of dust in the eye or an injury to a vital organ harms the body.
In the Jain account, during the bhog bhoomi of the third era kalpavriksha trees granted every wish, until rising sin made them stop giving. Adi Prabhu then taught the six means of livelihood, asi, masi, krishi, vidya, vanijya and shilpa, and gave the complete knowledge of Vastu to his fourth son Vishwakarma.
Start with Vishwakarma Prakash, the simplest, available in Hindi with the Sanskrit shlokas and their meaning (translated by Krishna Kumar Jugnu of Udaipur). Then read Mayamatam, both parts of Samarangana Sutradhara, Manasara and Raj Vallabh.
Raj Vallabh states that a temple with a large river flowing to its South becomes not merely a tirth but a mahatirth, because for a temple the water element stands for peace. Rules made for homes must not be applied mechanically to temples.
Vastu results depend equally on four factors: dravya (the money used), kshetra (the land), kaal (the muhurta) and bhav (the feelings of the builders and residents). A perfectly planned house still fails if any one of them is wrong.
Before construction of a house or factory begins, the muhurta for the shilanyas or start of work is fixed from the rashi of the owner. If the Moon falls 4th, 8th or 12th from his rashi, money stays short however good the Vastu and the door.
At the shilanyas or bhoomi poojan of any house or factory the first tilak goes to the mason (shilpi), contractor or Vastu consultant, not the pandit, and they are given the best clothes and a shriphal (coconut). Their goodwill enters the building, while a craftsman's tears of hurt in the mortar act like a buried bone (shalya dosh).