Understanding the Importance of Directions Or Dishas

Vastu shastra prescribes desirable characteristics for sites and buildings based on flow of energy (prana in Sanskrit). Many of the rules are attributed to cosmological considerations - the sun's path, the rotation of the earth, magnetic field, etc. The morning sun is considered especially beneficial and purifying and hence the east is a treasured direction. The body is considered a magnet with the head, the heaviest and most important part, being considered the North Pole and the feet the South pole. Hence sleeping with one's head directed north is believed to cause a repulsive force with the Earth's magnetic north and thus considered harmful. Bedrooms are therefore designed keeping this in mind. This is a wide spread practice in India even today.  

Energy is primarily considered as emanating from the northeast corner and many site and building characteristics are derived from this. Sites sloping down towards north or east from higher levels of south and west are considered good. Open spaces in site and openings in the building are to be more in the north and east than in the south and the west. No obstacles are to be present in the north and the east. Levels and height of buildings are to be higher in the south and west when compared to the north and east. The southwest corner is to be the highest, followed by southeast, then by northwest and finally by northeast. The triangle formed by joining the southwest, southeast and the northwest corner of the site is attributed to the moon and the triangle formed by joining the northeast, northwest and southeast corner of the site is attributed to the sun. The former are prescribed to be heavier and higher and the latter light and lower. Sites having a longer east-west axis are considered better. The diagonal connecting southwest and northeast is to be longer than the diagonal connecting southeast and northwest. An extended northeast corner is considered beneficial.

The above paragraph cites some of the commonly associated ideas regarding "energy" and the manipulation of energy in Vaastu. As it turns out, "Prana" is not the same as "Vaastu energy." While Prana is considered to be a somewhat subtle energy, it falls within the category of material energy. Vaastu energy is not in the same category. In addition, the Vaastu Shastras do not mention that sunlight has an effect on the Vaastu of a building. It is indeed thought of as an important aspect of life but it is material energy rather than subtle energy.

While many people think that "Vaastu energy" is emanating from the North East, that is a misunderstanding. People also attempt to equate the energy of the house with the planets. That is another misconception. Vaastu energy emanates from the central part of the house (Brahmasthan) and not from the east. (Pranava Veda and Vaastu Shastras). This energy is a mixture of Vaastu energy, which is subtle energy from the earth, and Vastu energy which is subtle energy from Consciousness itself. (See Fabric of the Universe by Dr. Jessie Mercay). Many assumptions are made about Vaastu Science that are completely untrue. From these assumptions people have made up ways to "correct vaastu" by selling yantras, crystals etc. for that purpose. This is completely innapropriate as there is nowhere in the Vaastu Shastras that indicates that any of these devices can correct faulty Vaastu. Once a person becomes educated in Vaastu Shastra by an authentic Shilpi Guru (teacher of Vaastu shastras) then it becomes clear that these ideas are erroneous. There is only one authentic Shilpi Guru living today and that is Dr V. Ganapati Sthapati. He is recognized by the Indian Government as the only living Shilpi Guru (teacher of this science) who has authorized Dr. Jessie Mercay to teach in the western world.

VASTU PURUSHA MANDALA

The Vastu Purusha Mandala is an indispensable part of vastu shastra and constitutes the mathematical and diagrammatic basis for generating design. It is the metaphysical plan of a building that incorporates the course of the heavenly bodies and supernatural forces. Purusha refers to energy, power, soul or cosmic man. Mandala is the generic name for any plan or chart which symbolically represents the cosmos.

In Hindu cosmology the surface of the earth is represented as a square, the most fundamental of all Hindu forms. The earth is represented as four-cornered in reference to the horizon's relationship with sunrise and sunset, the North and South direction. It is called Chaturbhuji (four cornered) and represented in the form of the Prithvi Mandala. The astrological charts or horoscopes also represent in a square plan the positions of the sun, moon, planets and zodiac constellations with reference to a specific person's place and time of birth.

The legend of the Vastu Purusha is related thus. Once a formless being blocked the heaven from the earth and Brahma with many other gods trapped him to the ground. This incident is depicted graphically in the Vastu Purusha Mandala with portions allocated hierarchically to each deity based on their contributions and positions. Brahma occupied the central portion - the Brahmasthana- and other gods were distributed around in a concentric pattern. There are 45 gods in all including 32 outer deities.

• North- Kubera- Ruled by lord of wealth (Finance)
• South- Yama- Ruled by lord of death - Yama (Damaging)
• East- Indra- Ruled by the solar deity- Aditya (Seeing the world)
• West- Varuna- Ruled by lord of water (Physical)
• Northeast {Eshanya} - Ruled by Shiva
• Southeast- Agni- Ruled by the fire deity - Agni (Energy Generating)
• Northwest- Vayu- ruled by the god of winds (Advertisement)
• Southwest- Pitru/Nairutya, Niruthi- Ruled by ancestors (History)

• Center- Brahma- Ruled by the creator of the universe (Desire)

The Vastu Purusha is the presiding deity of any site. Usually he is depicted as lying on it with the head in the northeast and legs in the southwest but he keeps changing position throughout the year.