Vastu
In Sanskrit, Vaastu ordinarily means a dwelling
house. It also denotes the plot of ground over which the house is built.
veZm-UvaRSturiSÇyamœ, #Tymr>,
Vastu-Pooja refers to certain religious (read
dharmic) ceremonies performed soon after the construction of a Kshetram is
completed. The necessity for this Pooja is extended to ordinary dwellings,
palaces etc.
An *Itihasic
story is narrated in the sacred texts to explain this highly abstract matter. The origin of Vaastu is thus narrated in the suà-edagmmœ, Let me reproduce the text as follows:
vaStuivNyasmag¡ tu dzsUÇe[ deizk>, @kazIitpd< vaStu svRs<pTkr< n&[amœ,
Asura
[a< ihtaw¡ tu zu³> k«Tva mhatp>, mhatpis s<-Utae -Utakarae mhabl>,
Aàyu−Sttae -Utae devEyRuÏ< àvtRte.
“The method of marking our Vaastu is by drawing ten lines. Ten
lines horizontally and ten vertically over them mark out 81 parts, and that is
very auspicious for men. Sukra the **Asura-Guru once performed great Tapas on behalf of the Asuras and
Vaastu originated as a powerful Bhoota. As he was ill-used, he began to fight
with the ***Devas.”
Similar account of Vaastu in greater detail is furnished in the
Silpa-Sastras. The Devas being teased by Vaastu complained to ****Brahma about him. Brahma told the
Devas that Vaastu is an Asura who is not easily destroyed, and advised the
Devas to catch hold of him and throw him down on the earth. The Devas acted
accordingly and Vaastu fell on the ground with his face turned downwards. His
head was in the north-eastern corner, the legs being in the south-western corner.
(Vaastu is thus marked diagonally from north-east to
south-west in every plot of ground selected for house-building.)
When Vaastu fell down, the Devas in a body sat over him and
pressed him down. He cried aloud and called out the name of Brahma who soon
appeared at the spot. Brahma then gave him the name of Vaastu and said that all
those who construct new buildings, palaces, Kshetrams etc should perform
Vaastu-Pooja. This injunction of Brahma is being carried out even at present
with great festivity everywhere in India.
Evidently the learned writers of the West on Indian Architecture
have not taken serious notice of this Vaastu who is a big Bhoota lying
diagonally in every ancient building in India. Without the proper Pooja to
appease him, no building is fit to dwell in. Any account of Hindu Architecture
without an explanation for this terrible Vaastu who keeps fighting with the
Devas, is simply worthless as a literary, historical or scientific treatise of
the sacred subject. The wicked Vaastu and his pacification are the most serious
matters in Hindu Architecture.
Now let us understand the technical essence of the above
paragraphs:
It could now be easily understood that the *itihasic story of Vaastu is no
meaningless mythology for the simple reason that the western historian may be incapable of grasping its philosophical import and religious (read dharmic) utility.
Vastu undoubtedly refers to a serious Dharmic process of purifying
man’s body so as to render it fit for the Deva to reside inside it.
The Vastu-Pooja is thus, the first thing to be done to raise the
construction of a building to the status of a holy Kshetram. Thus stately
palaces of kings as well as the lowliest cottages of peasants are equally
converted into Kshetrams in India by Vaastu-Pooja. Religiously, the rich and
the poor, the king and the peasant are equally held responsible for the
purification of their bodies and dwelling houses.
High-class philosophical religion is ingeniously made to penetrate
into everything connected with the daily transactions of the religious Hindu.
*Itihasa
Itihasa is not
history as misinterpreted by many.
Itihasa and
Puranas are authoritatively assured to be legitimate commentaries of the Vedas,
furnishing detailed information on many a subtle and vital point in an
'exquisitely dramatic style so that the explanations offered might appeal to
the ignorant masses. There is absolutely
no Indian history and no earthy geographies in the whole concern. Several
abstract matters are explained in the 'guise' of human transactions with
a view to render them understandable to the ordinary folk.
Every abstract
subject could only be grasped mentally.
But when it is explained in a concretised form in strict accordance with
the ordained rules by the help of Vedic terms it is called "Itihasa’.
Iti-hasa (Iti-Haasya) plainly means 'in this funny manner'. This process was adopted for the
edification of the ordinary people.
**Asuras and Rakshasas are not
the so called demons or cannibals (Dr. Annie Besant’s mis interpretations in
her book Sanatana Dharma) who eat the flesh of human beings and rule the nether
world. They are our lower desires which
need to be destroyed by Pranayama through the strength of "Bhīma"
(breathing out of the Asuras and breathing in the Devas).
Devas and Asuras denote two
varieties of devotion. Devas refer to religious acts performed without any
desire for material prosperity and Asuras to those acts performed without
relinquishing worldly desires.
Rakshasas denotes the diminution in the duration of the day
and metaphorically refers to the sins of man that obstruct the real knowledge
of Brahman’.
Source:
Inside Out- a philosophical enquiry of Hindu Dharma by K V Vishwanathan
( available on Amazon, Kindle, Notion press,)
