RE: Vastu Q - Excerpts from Matsya Purana

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Jaya Jagannatha

 

Dear Bipin,

Hare Krishna

 

Below are the excerpts from Matsya Purana as narrated by Lomaharshana:

 

Narada Purana has more specifics....has your Vishnu Dharmottara arrived yet? I am arriving in India on 21st Nov. and will check up on those books if you like. I have about an hour to spare.

 

Love,

Swee

 

The science of architecture owes its origin to the eighteen great Sages/personalities who are:

 

Bhrigu, Atri (palatial?), Vashishtha (ashram?), Vishvakarma (celestial buildings), Maya, Narada, Nagnajita, Vishalaksha, Puranadara, Brahma, Kartikeya (Brick work?), Nandishvara, Saunaka, Garga, Vasudeva, Aniruddha, Shukra (Beautiful), and Brihaspati (Wooden house) refer to BPHS, Jaimini and other classics for more hints.

 

The building of a house should never begin in the month of Chaitra. A person who does this is sure to contract a disease.

The month of Vaishakha is a good time to begin. One who does this is bound to own many cows.

The months of Agrahayana (which month is this? Anyone?), Magha and Phalguna are also auspicious.

An individual who begins the task in Agrahayana has full granaires,

one who begins it in Magha attains all sorts of riches and

one who begins it in Phalguna obtains gold and sons.

Ashada is also a good month to start. Servants and animals are owned by a person who starts the building in Ashada.

 

But the months of Jyeshtha, Sravana, Bhadra, Ashvina and Pushya are inauspicious.

If youbegin work in Jyeshta, you will die soon; you will also die if you begin in Sravana; begin work in Bhadra one will suffer from in all matters

Your wife will die if you start the task in the month of Ashvina;

and all your goods will be stolen if you start in the month of Pushya.

 

It is best to begin the building of a house when the nakshatras Ashvini, Rohini, Mula, Uttarabhadrapada, Uttarashada, Uttaraphalguni or Mrigashira are in the sky.

 

Any day is permissible with the exception of Sunday and Tuesday.

 

On testing the grounds:

 

The ground on which the house is to be build has to be tested. A pit should be dug and a sapling planted.

If the sapling thrives and growns into a big tree, the ground has been well-chosen.

But if the tree withers away or does not grow into a strong tree, one ought to move somewhere else.

 

Sarvatobhadra Cakra (the auspicious 81 squares)

A diagram is then drawn on the ground, in the form of a square with eighty-one smaller squares inside it.

That is the larger square will be subdivided into nine squares along very side.

Nine multiplied by nine gives the eighty-one smaller squares. In each of these eighty-one smaller squares, a specific god has to be worshipped.

 

Names of the Types of Buildings:

There are different types of houses. A house that has doors on all four sides is known as a sarvatobhadra. Such a configuration is recommended for palaces or temples.

A building that does not have a door to the west is known as a nandyavarta;

A building that does not have a door to the south is known as a varddhamana;

A building that does not have a door to the east is known as a svastika;

and a building that does not have a door to the north is known as ruchaka.

 

Selecting the Timber and Tree selections (in planting):

 

There should not be any trees in the front of the house.

But trees have to be planted towards the back.

The wood with which the house has to be built must be carefully chosen.

One must not cut down a tree that birds have built nests on.

Certain trees must never be chosen. These include those that have been gashed by an elephant or struck by lightning. They also include trees that grow near temples or at the of rivers and trees from cremation grounds.

 

Wood from Neem and mango trees must never be used for building houses.

 

The height of the tree should be multiplied by its circumference. This product should now be divided by eight. If the remainder that is left is one, the timber can be used in building any part of the house. Such timber is known as dhvaja. When the remainder is two the timber is known vrisha and should be used in constructing the western door. When the remainder is three the timber is called simha and should be used for the northern door. The name is vrishabha if the remainder is four and such wood should be used for the eastern door. When the remainder is five the timber is given the name of hasti and should be used for the southern door.

 

Images:

Images have to be installed in Temples.

 

 

On 11/10/06 2:50 PM, " Swee Chan " <sweechan wrote:

 

 

 

 

 

Jaya Jagannatha

 

Dear Bipin,

Hare Krishna

 

There is ONLY ONE purusha and the Sun still rises in the East and sets in the West and the Moon is dependant of the Sun’s rays. So the flow of water flows out differently and the magnetic flow of the Earth goes from the South to the North. The Northern hemisphere is the Uttara ayana of the Sun where more “superior” nakshatras preside or so we think. But according to sanjay ji’s lesson, it is evident that the energy flows in a biorhythmic wave.

 

Love,

 

Swee

 

 

On 11/10/06 9:56 AM, " Bipin Prag " <bipinprag wrote:

 

 

 

 

 

Jaya Jaganantha

 

Dear Chandrashekhar

Namaste

 

Thanks for your reply in providing some perspective. What you say makes logical sense about the Sun's rays transversing a house being different in the two hemispheres.

 

My further question is, does prana also flow in opposite directions and further does the Vastu Purusha then also move in opposite directions. Should this be the case, then am I correct in saying that in the Southern Hemisphere, the Kitchen should be in the North East and Pooja Room in the South East as examples to clarify this point of view.

 

Best Wishes

 

Bipin

 

 

 

On 11/3/06, Chandrashekhar <sharma.chandrashekhar wrote:

Dear Swee,

 

I am sorry for the delay in reply. Part of the reason was my reluctance to speak plain on Vaastu in open forum as my opinion may raise the hackles of die hard Vaastu fans. I am sure you understand.

 

The reason that Vaastu in northern and Southern hemisphere will have to be viewed in different manner is pretty simple, if we understand that Vaastu is part of Jyotish and Samhitas give much information on them. Primarily, in my personal view, the treatment of Vaastu is from the point of view of sound architectural principles based on the flow of air, hot and cold area etc related to different directions.

 

I know that for die hard Vaastu aficionados this may sound strange but this is the conclusion a person can draw when one reads through the vast literature on Vaastu that is available in Samhitas and other texts like Vasturaj Vallabh etc. Even the directions Vaayavya, Ishaanya, Aagneya and Nairutya relate to movement of Air, Cold province hot area etc.

 

However leaving this controversial part, it is necessary to understand that in the Northern hemisphere Sun rises to the East, moves in southernly direction and sets in the West where as in Southern hemisphere it rises in the east moves in northerly direction and sets in the west. So the way sun rays will fall in a place at a particular time of the day will differ and hence the direction of a door. So to satisfy the condition that a Temple, monastery or house in which the rays of Sun and air do not enter in the first part of the day is not auspicious, it is obvious that the direction of the doors will have to be different in Northern and Southern Hemisphere. same for the injunction about shadow of a house falling on the well in 2nd and 3rd part of the day being inauspicious. In both cases the door and well will have to be located in different direction in the two hemisphere. If you want the original shlokas indicating this, kindly let me know. I shall be glad to furnish the! m.

 

Love,

Chandrashekhar.

 

Swee Chan wrote:

 

Jaya Jagannatha

 

Dear Chandrashekharji,

Namaste

 

Can you please elaborate on the factors which one has to consider when living in the Southern Hemisphere and why there should be a difference and that there are no parameters to consider when living in the East or the West. I would appreciate it if you can give me references from the sashtras.

 

Love,

Swee

 

On 10/19/06 11:21 AM, " Chandrashekhar " <sharma.chandrashekhar wrote:

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Swee,

You are absolutely right. There is no thumb rule as such and the directions vary from individual to individual. You are also right about the change of head of Vaastu Purusha. One will also have to factor in whether one is in northern or southern hemisphere when considering Vaastu parameters. You are also right about the wood to be used and the Nakshatra connection with the door. So also Lagna Muhurta.

 

I know you understand that. My comments were about the mushrooming crop of Vaastu consultants that you see now a days. Do send me your notes on other shastras. I would love to read them as I did your notes on Gemstones.

 

Love,

Chandrashekhar.

 

Swee Chan wrote:

 

 

 

Om Gurave Namah

 

Dear Chandrashekharji,

Namaste

 

[it is obvious that the reference is to doors of a house in a Vaastu and that the direction that a door faces is dependent on the Lagna of the owner and there is no general direction given as is the practice amongst modern Vaastu practitioners.]

 

Thank you the texts in sanskrit. I am using a friend's pc and it comes out gobbly-gook :| but wanted to clarify the sloka on Vrischikha etc. and drive home the idea that vastu practitioners do not incorporate one's natal chart.

The other point is that the vastu purusha's head points in a certain direction during a particular ritu and this is the time to install the main door. The choice of wood is also important. The choice of nakshatra that conglomerates in a pattern at the front door is also considered. The lagna of the muhurta is also of importance.

 

My notes from various sashtras on the subject is more than that on gemstones ;-)

 

love,

 

Swee