Dr KK Aggarwal
Padma Shri and Dr B C Roy National Awardee
President, Heart Care Foundation of India
The Vedas are said to be apourusheya. This means they cannot be dated. However we can safely give them a time period of at least 5000 years. Vastu comes from the Vedas and are attributed to the Atharvaveda. Vastu is also referred to as Sthapathya Veda.
There are five basic elements of nature called “Pancha Mahabhootas” (space, air, fire, water and earth) which also reflects in Vastu. There are eight directions North, South, East, West, North East, Northwest, Southeast and Southwest.
In terms of Ayurveda text space and air elements (Vata) controls the movements of the body and the universe, fire and water (Pitta) controls the metabolism and energy and earth and water (Kapha) component the structure of the body and the universe,
2. South east represents fire (Narrityakone) and is also the natural place for most fire hazards
3. Northwest represents air. Most air related disasters occur in this direction.
4. Southwest represents the earth or the ground level. Most Mountainair areas of the nature are in this part.
5. Space is represented by the height of the premises and the central open space. Most hotels and hospitals therefore have the central space as an open space.
The north pole of the earth is the positive pole. In human body the blood flow is maximum in the head and hence head acts as a positive pole and the legs the negative pole. While sleeping the head should not be on the North Pole as the two positive poles will repel each other and disrupting the blood flow.
North east is the most auspicious area. It is used for pooja, opening of windows, main gate of the house etc.
Number of windows in the east or north should be more than on the other sides. Also the size of the windows in the east and north should be bigger than of on the other sites. The varandas/ balcony/porticos or any types of projections in the house are also made towards north or east. Open space in the north of the building should be more then the open place in the south. Similarly open space in the east should be more than the west. However it is good to have open space all around.
In vastu one relates every thing in reference to the centre of the room, building or land. The deviation of the axis should be within 20- degree north from the centre of any room or land. It should not vary more than 20 degree in any case.
The floor level at micro or macro level should be lower towards north, east or northeast. If this law is violated it is responsible for tension in the relationship. The south, west or southwest end should be higher.
Vastu is to be related to the universe, country, state, city, house and lastly the room. One needs to negate the sum total of negative vastu findings by positive Vastu directions. For example the best sacred places in the world should be Northeast countries, Northeast place in a country, northeast place in a state, Northeast place in a city or in the Northeast place in a building.
The ancient relics say that Vaastu is based on two forces “positive” and “negative” which are constantly interacting with each other on the surface of the land. These forces should get disturbed whenever any structure is erected on a vacant land, to maintain a balance. If there are more positive energies (forces) than the negative energies, the result of such a construction would yield more benefits to the inmates leading to a more successful, healthy, wealthy and peaceful life, contrary to this if the negative energies dominate the premises the effects could be negative.
The basic idea in vastu is to obey the laws of nature which is based on energy from north to south, sun rays from east to south, air direction in the northwest, water flow towards northeast, structural areas in the southwest and fire places in the southeast.
Ideal place
1. Car garage: southeast or northwest
2. Windows: North, east or North-east
3. Servant quarters: Northwest
4. Store room: West
5. Sacred place: Northeast. The pooja room should be towards northeast, the most energy filled areas. The person should not face south when performing pooja. Only in death ceremonies the pooja is done facing the south.
6. Loft: South, west or Southwest
7. Articles: the heavier articles in the room should be placed towards south and west side and the comparatively lighter articles should be accommodated towards north and east. The northeast corner should be kept more or less vacant.
8. Kitchen: should be in the southeast area (fire element). Second option is north- west area (air element). The gas cylinders and the oven should be in the southeast side of the kitchen and the face of the lady cooking the food should be towards east only while cooking.
9. The master bedroom should be slightly bigger and designed in the southwest area. The bed should be kept in the southwest of the room in such a way so as to keep the head of the person in the south. The main almirah containing valuables must open towards north only. TV should be placed in the southeast or the northwest side of the room. The bed and heavy articles in the room must not touch the eastern wall. Remember the eastern wall is the most energy flowing area. The next generation room bed should be in the west or the south end. The kid’s room should b in the southeast. It can also be towards northeast.
10. Utilities: the water source (under ground water tank/tube well/inlet of corporation water) should be designed in the north or east of northeast. The electrical transformer, main switch, meters etc. Should be laid in the south-east portion of the land. The same should be for the placement of the switches at the room level also. The position of the septic tank should be in the north of the north- west. The toilets should be place in the south or west or towards northwest. The bath room without commode can also be made in the east side.
11. Boundaries: The boundary of the place should be slightly heavier and higher on the south and on the west side.
12. Main gates and doors: Main gate or the main door of the place should not be in the middle of the breadth or the length. For the purpose of calculations divide the length or the breadth into nine equal parts. The first two parts on the corners are used as corner sides for the purpose of directions. The middle five parts are designated as the main direction. If the door is to be placed on the east-facing wall, it should be on the east of the northeast and never east of the south. If the door is to be placed on the south-facing wall, it should be on the south of the south –east and never south of the south- west. If the door is to be placed on the west-facing wall, it should be on the west of the northwest and never west of the south. If the door is to be placed on the north-facing wall, it should be on the north of the northeast and never north of the northwest.
13. Cuts: In the north- east any cut or depression must be avoided at any cost. It is most harmful. In theBhopalgas factory there was a railway line at the northeast area.
14. The office or the office room at the residence should preferably be in the southwest or possibly in the south or west. While working the face must face north or east (never south). Facing north or east provides natural creativity.
15. Extensions: The shape of the place must not be extended towards southwest, southeast and northwest. It can be extended to northeast. Infact many do it as an auspicious measure. All other extensions are injurious.
Health reflecting factors
a. Any fault in the north east- in long run brings problems for the male head of the family and the next progeny. There may be no or abnormal male births in the family.
b. fault in the east vastu effect the male head of the family.
c. Kitchen in the faulty place will harm the health of the first lady of the house (cooking member of the house).
d. Faulty north and east areas with no proper size or number of windows will bring health problems.
e. If the water source (tube well, underground water tank) is situated in the southwest, southeast or northwest (mainly southwest), it is very injurious.
h. Drinking water must be kept in the north of the rooms and kitchens. Fridge is an electrical appliance and should be kept in the southeast; agneya kone. Northwest is the second option. In fact al the electrical appliances including the computers should be in the southeast area.
i. The buildings boundary should be constricted in such a way more heaviness and heights are towards south, west, or southwest for the overhead tankers maximum height must be kept towards southwest preferable west of southwest.
j. Plot: Shape of the land/building/room must be a squarish or rectangular. If rectangular the ratio must not exceed 1:2. If more it puts restriction on the progress in the family. Any plot which is “singh mukhi”, wider towards the passage /opening of the house is not auspicious for residence but good for the business or profession. Reverse is true for the house which is ““gaumukhi”“, more narrow towards the passage/opening of the house.
