Vaastu – It's Relevance Today

"Believe nothing, merely because you have been told it or because it is traditional or because you yourself have imagined it" - Buddha.

In recent times there has been a sudden upsurge of interest in Vaastu. People are spending a lot of money and efforts in the name of Vaastu. Now it is a universal affair throughout the country. We must examine the relevance of traditional vaastu for present day structures.
Vaastu is derived from the Sanskrit root “Vas” which means to dwell. Vaastu is hence a dwelling, the scope of which extends from a house to a house plot, a hamlet, a village, a town, a city etc.; it also represents the quality and strength of materials which are generally used in the construction of buildings. 

Vaastu Shastra is basically a science of planning and construction of houses and other public buildings. It is developed by several ancient scholars and sages at various places in different times for orderly growth of settlements. The original principles have undergone several modifications to suit the needs of the society. Presently this modified Vaastu is adapting to all types of structures. These new inter pretations should be analysed carefully.

It is well known that almost all the Sanskrit sutras have a double-edge meaning, the one which is obvious and the other hidden. Due to lack of proper understanding several misapprehensions have developed about Vaastu. For example grounds with gentle slope towards North or East or North-East corner were considered auspicious. This principle developed on the basis of topography of the land. Most of the rivers in our country flow towards East. Generally a place which is having sloped towards North or East or North-East corner is safe against floods. The slope of ground towards other directions are said to be inauspicious. However this principle is not applicable to all places. There is an exactly opposite principle also. According to Apasthambha the slope towards South, West or South-West corner is only auspicious. These two principles are quite contradictory. This it self is sufficient to prove the aim of Vaastu. Both Sutras are valid for their respective areas and should be given equal weight and importance. Also the texts of Vaastu mention that the ground slope in the directions other than prescribed will lead to Kula Nasanam (destruct of race / tribe or abode). This means the settlement will be inundated by floods. This rule does not apply to house plots. For the context of a house plot, the purpose of ground slope is to facilitate easy drainage of surface water. Sites with depression in the middle are to be avoided, because water is likely to stagnate in the depression.

The ancient settlements generally centered a temple or other public building at the highest point with outward slope in all directions. According to Varahamihira’s Bruhat Samhitha, the high-born people can have their dwelling in ground sloping in any direction.

 

This shows that there is no inauspiciousness at attributed to slope in any direction. But today most of vaastu pandits say that the ground slope is not towards the North or East or North-East corner, misfortunes and calamities will fall upon the occupant of the house, such as death, illness etc. This type of half knowledge of self-styled vaastu experts creates a psychological fear in the gullible public. The so called vaastu pandits make a mockery of knowledge by charging exorbitant fees for a certain ‘Set of Vaastu Principles’.

True knowledge and the right application of Vaastu will give only comfort and convenience to the occupants.It is essential that the Vaastu principles and statements should be studied, understood and analysed properly. The relevant rules may be considered in the present day structures and used judiciously.

The principles of Vaastu should be demystified and a new approach is to be made to the subject as an ancient art of building science and technology.