Complete Vastu Guide part1

Vastu Sastra (Shastra)

Where we live can influence our happiness, wealth, health, and prosperity. The Vastu Shastra is the Vedic science of building. When one studies the Vastu Shastra, he learns to create buildings that favorably influence those things that bring us happiness.

The Vastu Shastra considers the astrological placement of the Sun, Earth, and other planets during the actual construction. It also considers where the building site is located, the site’s shape, the proposed building’s shape, the direction the building will face, the location of gates, entry doors, room doors, windows, and the building’s general design. North and east are considered important directions—east because it is the direction from which the sun rises.

Assessing the Land
When purchasing a property, it is a good idea to stand on the land and feel its vibration for a few moments. Trust your feelings. If you feel positive about it, consider buying the land. If not, it is probably not good for you. It is best to buy land where happy and successful people have lived. A house sold by a person in distress or who is impoverished, should be purchased only with caution. A dilapidated or haunted house should not be purchased at all.

The land should be cultivatable and should smell good. It is best not to build on nonarable land. Land that contains many rocks, anthills, many worms, bones, broken pottery, sludge, and thorny trees should not be purchased. If the center of the land is humped like the shell of a turtle, it should not be purchased.

The color of the soil should also be considered. White soil is good for brahmans (priests, teachers, scientists, or intellectuals) , red for ksatriyas (rulers, soldiers, or administrators) , yellow for vaisyas (businessmen, farmers or bankers), and black for sudras (laborers, artisans, craftsmen, or servants).
When you assess the soil, do not just make a surface check, but also dig about 4m (12 ft) down.

If the soil is black up to 1m (3 ft) down and white or red below that, the land can be purchased.

According to Vastu Shastra, black and clayey soil is not good for building. If the soil is crumbly rock, money can easily be gotten. Yellow soil is good for businessmen.

Another test of land quality is to dig a knee-deep hole (2/3m or 2'x2'x2') and then refill it. If after filling the hole you have some soil left over, the land is good. If there is no soil left after filling the hole, the land is average. If the returned soil does not even fill the hole, this is not a good sign. Such land should not be purchased. This shows the soil’s natural moisture and aeration.Again dig the same sized hole. This time, fill it with water. If it takes more than an hour for the water to be absorbed, this is a good sign. If there are many cracks in the hole after the water has been absorbed, the construction may cost more than you expect. This is a percolation test done even in the U.S. to test for clay deposits. The cracks indicate clay soil, which is not best for water drainage and can cause foundation problems, etc. Also, wastes are not carried away properly, which can bring disease.

Do not purchase land that has been used as a crematorium, cemetery, or a samadhi (tomb for a holy person). The land should not be purchased if in the recent past someone has committed suicide on it, or if there have been several deaths over the period of a couple of months.

It is usually best not to purchase land next to a bridge. If the bridge is on the north or east sides, it definitely should not be purchased. If it is on the south or west sides, that is a safer purchase.

It is also usually best not to purchase land that shares a well with another property. The land can be purchased, however, if the water supply is a common well on the north, east, or northeast side.
A plot of land situated on a hill is also not a good purchase in most cases. It is better to purchase level ground. If the land to be purchased is on the side of a hill, however, and the land slopes down toward the north or east, that is all right. If the land slopes to the west, do not purchase it.

After choosing and purchasing land, plants should be grown on the land. Also, if possible, keep a cow and her calf on the land for a while to make it more auspicious.

The Land
The direction that the front of a property faces is important. The best shapes for plots of land are square or rectangular, facing squarely on the four cardinal directions. A land tilt of 20 degrees, off square by 20 degrees, is acceptable. If the plot is rectangular, it is better that the longer sides run north to south rather than west to east.

If the plot of land does not squarely face the four cardinal directions, and if the road does not run in one of the four cardinal directions, the house should be built facing the four directions The house should be square or rectangular, and the faces of the building should each be toward a cardinal direction, and not built facing the road.

It is not good to purchase a piece of land squeezed between two larger pieces of land as such land will bring its owner poverty.

The northeast side of the land should be the lowest side. If the northeast side is at a higher elevation than other sides of the property, you can dig soil from that one side and use it to build up the other parts. The land should either slope down toward the north or east, but not toward the west or south. Land sloping north brings riches, sloping east brings good fortune, sloping south brings ruin, and sloping west brings financial loss.

It is auspicious if tall buildings or hills do not obstruct the north, northeast, and east sides of the land. Do not purchase land with such obstructions to those sides because the sun’s rays will be blocked.Having those same obstructions blocking the west or south sides, however, bring health and wealth—light coming from the southwest is not beneficial. The sun’s rays traveling westward are considered harmful. Thus such obstructions block out harmful rays.For the same reason, a water source located on the southwest side of a building will cause the owner misery. Similarly, there should be a minimum number of doors and windows set into the southwest side of a building; the majority of windows should be set in the northeast side.
The boundary walls around a property should be higher in the west and south and lower in the north and east.

It is auspicious if the plot has a river or a stream flowing through it on the northeast, or if there is a lake on the same side. It is not auspicious if there is an electrical power supply or large electric pole on the northeast side of the plot. A telephone pole is not negative in the northeast, however.
There should not be any valley, a depression in the land, or large pit around the land.

Construction
Construction should not stop once it begins. Workers should not be unnecessarily pushed to speed up their work; work for the day should stop at sunset. No construction should be done at night. A qualified engineer should always oversee the construction.

Building materials should be stored in the southwest corner of the property during construction. The storage area or structure can also be built in the southeast corner, at least 1m (3 ft) from the property boundary. The guard should stay in a house in the southeast corner. Thieves will be a danger if the guard stays in the northwest corner, and the guard should not stay in the southwest corner.

Order of construction: the well, the storage house, and then the boundary wall.

Roads in Relation to Land
A square piece of land surrounded by roads on four sides is considered very good. It should be purchased even if at a high cost. A person who owns this land will become wealthy, healthy, and happy.

If a road runs alongside the property and ends at the northeast corner, that is also very good. If a road ends on any other parts of the property, however, that plot is usually not good.

A road on the north side of the property is good, but a road on the south side is not so good. If there is only one road, it is best if it is located on the east side. It is not so good if it is located on the west side.

If there are roads on only the east and north side, that is good. If there are roads on the west and north, it is average. Roads on the north, west, and east—that is, only on these three sides—is not so good. Roads on the north, south, and west is also not so good. It is inauspicious if there are three roads only on the east, south, and west.Land should also not be next to a T or Y intersection.

Negative Location of Land
There are other aspects of land assessment that should be considered. The plot should not be within twice the distance of the height of the house to a public place—a hospital, factory, temple, church, marriage hall, courthouse, cemetery, or cremation grounds. There should not be a laundry place, shoe shop, meat shop, or workshop with loud machinery opposite the property.The house should be at least 25m (80 ft) from the entrance of a temple. The property’s gate should not face a temple or church, and the shadow of a temple or church should not fall on the house.If the public place is twice the distance of the height of the house away from the house, it will have no effect.

Building Material
Only new bricks, wood, and materials should be used when building a new house. Materials from an old building should not usually be used to build a new one in case those old materials repeat negative incidents that occurred in the old house. There is unhappiness in using old things. If there are old materials available, better to sell them and use the money to buy new materials.

Wood from thorny trees should not be used, as it will have a negative effect. Materials that have been stored for a long time should also not be used. Iron grills should only be used when needed.

Shape of the Land
The best properties are either square or rectangular. If the plot is not a perfect rectangle, it is best if at least the southwest and southeast sides of the land are at 90º angles from one another. The southwest side of the quadrilateral should definitely not be extended past the southeast side, even if that means giving away a portion of the plot. Land that extends past the northeast side of the quadrilateral, however, brings wealth, happiness, and good name. Land extending on the northeast side is very good. Extensions on any other side are inauspicious. Extensions of the northwest side will cause you to lose money and peace.

If the land is cut in the corner this is not good. If possible the land to fill in the missing corner should be purchased. If the land is cut short on the northeast side it is very bad and is not aspicious; do not purchase it. It is like a headless body.

Round, oval, and triangular plots should be avoided. The house should not be built in the shape of a diamond, with the corner facing north. L-shaped plots are also inauspicious and should not be purchased.

It is good if the plot is narrower at the entrance and wider at its rear, but the opposite is not good.

Well or Water Source
It is advised that the first construction project for the new house is to dig the well. If water is used from this well for the construction, it is auspicious for the family who will live in the house. It is best that the well or water source is on the north or northeast side of the land, or if water comes from the municipality, it should enter from the northeast side. If you draw a line from the southeast corner to the northeast corner, the well should be to the right or left of the line, not on it.

The well can also be in the north or east sides of the property. The well should not be in the northwest or southeast corners, as this is inauspicious. It is especially inauspicious if the well is dug in the southwest corner. It is also inauspicious to have a well in the middle of a house.

Wells should be round. Ideally, the well water should be exposed to sunlight for five hours a day. It is not recommended to share wells between two properties.

The well should be dug after puja (worship) has been performed on the land at an astrologically auspicious time. This will insure that the water will be pure.

The well should be dug under an auspicious star, such as Rohini, Hasta, Uttara Bhadrapada, Uttara, etc. It should be dug on an auspicious day—a Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. The well should be dug during a downward-facing constellation or star, such as, Krittika, Purva Phalguni, Mula, Bharani, Ashlesha, Purva Bhadrapada, or Purvashadha. Water departing from the kitchen and bathroom should flow to the northeast and leave the house from this side.

Compound Wall and Gate
The compound wall should be built before the house is constructed. Construction should begin during an auspicious constellation, and on a favorable day—a Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. It should also be begun during an auspicious day of the lunar month—Pratipada, Panchami, Shashthi, Dashami, Ekadashi, or Purnima. The compound wall should not be higher than the house, and construction of it should begin on the southwest side.

The southwest part of the wall should be higher than the rest of the wall. The walls on the north and east sides should be 53cm (21 inches) shorter than on the west and south sides. If this is not possible, then the north and east sides should be a minimum of 8cm (3 inches) shorter.

Do not set the gate on the south side. It is best that there are two gates to the compound, so evil things entering one gate will exit from the other.

Outside of Main Building
It is best if the house is built on the southwest section of the land. Any open space should be to the north and east. Open space on the west side of the land is not good for the family’s male members.

It is also good to keep a tulasi plant in the northeast corner.The electric generators should be situated on the southeast section of the plot, not the northeast, which is inauspicious. Loud machinery should not be placed near the house.

If there is to be a swimming pool, waterfalls, or fountains, they should be set to the north, east, or northeast. Gardens, plants, or the lawns should also be set to the north, east, or northeast. Plants should be less than 1m (3 ft) in height. Swings should be to the north or east, and should swing from east to west.

Outdoor seats should be placed in the south or west of the open area, and people should face north or east while sitting.

It is considered inauspicious to block the entrance to a house, such as with a tree or telephone pole. If one of these things is more than twice the distance of the house’s height away, it will not have any effect.Trash or dirty water should not be kept near a house’s entrance (or the entrance to a place of business), and neither should it be kept near the property’s entrance. An unclean stream or pool of unclean water should not be located in front of the house.Annexes or outhouses should not be on the north or east sides of the house, and they definitely should not touch the eastern or northern boundary walls.

A garage, building, or servants’ quarters built separately from the house should be located to the southeast or northwest of the main house but should not touch any of the boundary walls. Ideally such quarters should not touch the southeast corner, but should be slightly west (without touching the east wall). They should also not touch the northwest corner but should be slightly south (without touching the north wall). They should be established about 1m (3 ft) from the wall.

Parking
Cars should be parked facing east or north. A car should never be parked facing south. If a car is parked facing west or northwest, the owner will spend a long time traveling.

The parking lot should be in the northwest corner of the property. It should not be located to the southwest or northeast. Parking can also be located in the basement, on the north or east side.

A parking garage should not be connected to the compound wall or the main building.

The parking garage should be painted a light color, not a dark color.

Roof
The roof of the house should slope towards the northeast and rainwater should flow to the north, east, or northeast direction.

Balconies and Verandahs
Balconies, verandahs, and terraces should ideally be built on the north, northeast, or east sides of the house, not on the south or west sides. If a balcony is on the southwest side of a house, it should be covered and closed.

The floor or roof over a balcony or terrace should be lower than the floor or roof of the main building. It is best if the verandah’s roof is slanted toward the northeast. Tin is a good roofing material for such structures. The verandah’s corners should not be rounded, and balconies should not have arches.Flowerpots on the verandah should be small. No creepers should be planted on a verandah. The seats on the verandah should be set on the south or west sides.

Shoes can be removed and placed on the verandah. They should not be placed to the northeast.

Inside the Building
Furniture, such as sofas, should be placed in the southeast, south, or west sides of a room. The house’s owner should sit facing north or east, and his guests should sit facing west or south.It is best that the northeast corner of each room in the house be left empty. If furniture must be set in the northeast corner, it should be set 15cm (six inches) from the wall.

Do not align doors within the house. One door should not lead directly into another.

It is best when a student studies that he face north, northeast, or east. Therefore a table in a study room should be placed in the south or west sides of the room. Books should be stored in the southwest side of the room.

Do not keep money in a place facing south.
When one prays, he should face either north or east.

Beds should face either west or south to insure that when a person rises in the morning, he is facing either north or east. While asleep, one should place his head to the south, east, or west, not north. If one’s place of worship is in the bedroom (in the northeast), one should sleep with his head facing east to avoid pointing his feet toward the altar.Mirrors should be placed on the north or east walls, not on the south or west walls. Do not keep broken mirrors in the house. Clocks should be placed on the west, north, or east walls. Clothes should be washed in the southeast corner of the house.

Medicine should be kept in the northeast corner of the house, and a person should face northeast while taking it. It is best to nurse those who are ill in the southwest corner of the house, although the northwest corner is also good.

Rainwater and wastewater should leave the house from the northeast side. It should flow west to east or south to north.

There should be an even number of columns and beams in the house, not odd.

Doors should generally be made from a single piece of wood and should open on the left side.
A television can be placed in the southeast side of a room. An overhead water tank should be located in the southwest side of a building.

Stairways should be on the south, southwest, or west sides of a building.

Certain pictures should not be hung in a house such as nudes, animals fighting, captured elephants, hunting scenes, trees without fruits or flowers, snakes, owls, bats, vultures and pigeons.

Tube continued in next Complete Vastu Guide part2.......