Tuesday, 25 April 2023

VASTU SASTRAM -A SCIENCE ON ARCHITECTURE

 



Vastu is the bridge between man and nature. Everything is made up of basic (Pancha-bhootas) five elements – FIRE, WATER, EARTH, SPACE, and AIR. All These elements are only found on earth that is why it is the only planet that supports life and nature. If the residential and commercial buildings are constructed without any regards to these elements, then how would it will give any benefits? From each of the basic elements we are getting a strange precious gift due to infinite powers of the universe. 

Vāstuśāstra (वास्तुशास्त्र) refers to the “knowledge of the science” and represents the first qualification which an architect [i.e., sthapati] must possess to start with. This Vāstuśāstra consists of the knowledge of the canons of the site-planning and its layout, the planning of the buildings, the laying out of gardens, parks, town-planning and regional planning and all that constitutes the traditional subject-matter of architecture. All this comes under śilpa. Apart from śilpa, his intellectual equipment should be broadened with the knowledge of carpentery, engineering, machine-making (yantra-karma-vidhi) etc.

All materials in the world, irrespective of their size, shape, colour, physical or chemical compositions have embedded their origins from one of the Pancha-bhootas . They enjoy peculiar vibration levels, which is evading the intelligence of human beings. 

Vastu is in a position to reduce the gravity of the problems faced by human beings as well as industries particularly those suffering from sickness through vibrations of Pancha-bhootas which has anchored their roots in the body of the human beings as well as the external and internal building configurations.

The Vastu science is founded upon the laws of nature.  The basic source of energy of the whole world is stored at North and South Pole. It flows uninterruptedly from North Pole to South Pole in the form of magnetic waves. Therefore Southward portion of every building should be higher than the northward portion so that there may not be any hindrance to the flow of magnetic waves.

Material used for the tiles

Mayamatam says that - दग्धैश्च मृन्मयैश्चापि लोहलोष्ठैर्यथोचितम्। गोपनस्योपरिष्टात्तु छादनीयं 

        विचक्षणीयैः।  निश्छिद्रमिष्टमानेन विधातव्यं दृढं यथा॥        (XVII-104)

Sintered clay tiles or sheets of metal can be used as roof cover for the house which should be strong and non-porous.


Town Planning

Samarangana-Sutradhara by Bhoja representing a voluminous treatise on the science of Architecture, also known as Vastu-Shastra, encompassing eighty-three chapters in Sanskrit shloka format. The Samaranganasutradhara includes topics predominantly dealing with Architecture, Arts and Crafts, but also deals with Creation-theory, Geography, Iconography.

The Chapter 10 of the Samarāṅgaṇa-Sūtradhāra the original work of the King Bhoja of Dhara describes that,

पुरस्य त्रिविधस्यापि प्रमाणमथ कथ्यते | प्राकारपरिखाट्टालद्वाररथ्याध्वभिसह ॥ १॥

ज्येष्ठं तत्र चतुश्चापसहस्रं पुरमिष्यते । मध्यं द्वाभ्यां सहस्राभ्यामेकेन व्यासतोऽ धमम्‌ ॥ २ ॥

साष्टमांशं सपादं वा सार्धं वा व्यासमायतम् । कुर्यादेकैकमायामं चतुरस्रीकृतं शुभम्‌ ॥ ३ ॥

The scheme of planning of the town (of all categories) with all the common components like Prākāra, Parikhā, Aṭṭāla, gates, Gopuras, roads, and streets together with the site-planning, residential quarters of the towns-men belonging to different castes and professions and the temples has been elaborated here in this chapter, the notice of which has been taken in detail in a separate part of this Study (vide Part II, Town Planning).

The Significance of Vastu-Purusha-Mandala

The floor plan of any building, particularly its main gate must be done in accordance with Vastu Purusha Mandala. If done so, it brings ample prosperity for its occupants.  Usually Vastu Purusha Mandala is often depicted in square charts to represent the usually shape of the plot. But for better understanding, however, it is drawn in 360 degree chart format, which is universally more popular.

Some of the Important works

1. VastuSaaram
2. Mayamatam
3. MaanaSaaram
4. SamaranganaSutradhara
5. Sukraneeti
6. Silparatnam
 

          



   
       (This blog post is a part of Blogchatter's #BlogchatterA2Z)

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