Vastu

[Swaroop Sharma]

Dears,

Namaste,

I am curious to know the root of the word vAstu. I am aware of the vAstu-puruSha homa, conducted a day before the house warming ceremony. I can also chant the mantra of vAstu-puruSha, but what I am yet to decipher is, its Vedic roots and etymology. Are there authentic scriptures written by scholars about vAstu or is it a contribution of the self claimed vAstu-GYAnIs and vAstu-vishaaradas? Isn't it ironically amazing to know that country filled with Kubera-corners is still Developing Nation (Financially) and many countries which are not exposed to such ideas are financially well off! If anybody can provide with reference the meaning of the vAstu-puruSha mantra, I would be very happy :-)

Dhanyavad 

Swaroop.R. M.A., M.S.
Research Scholar, DOS in Psychology, University of Mysore.
#200, 'Shree Rajarajeshwari' 10th B Cross J.P.Nagar I Phase, Bangalore-78
09742164232, 080-22444504
http://www.gods-own-handwriting.blogspot.com/

[Sunder Hattangadi]

Here are some references that may be helpful:

 

 वास्तु [p= 948,3] [L=192596] n. (m. only in BhP. ) the site or foundation
of a house , site , ground , building or dwelling-place , habitation ,
homestead , house RV. &c 

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

http://mailerindia.com/vaastu/html/ch01.php

"....The word "Vaastu" has been derived from 'VASTOSHPATI'
used in 'Rig Veda' and is meant to provide protection, hapiness
and prosperity in this life as well as after death...."

 

Rig Veda says:

 

vAstoShpate prati jAnIhyasmAnsvAvesho anamIvo bhavA naH |
yattvemahe prati tanno juShasva shaM no bhava dvipade shaM chatuShpade

|| 7\.054\.01

 

vAstoShpate prataraNo na edhi gayasphAno gobhirashvebhirindo |
ajarAsaste sakhye syAma piteva putrAnprati no juShasva || 7\.054\.02

 

vAstoShpate shagmayA saMsadA te sakShImahi raNvayA gAtumatyA |
pAhi kShema uta yoge varaM no yUyaM pAta svastibhiH sadA naH || 7\.054\.03

 

--------

Rig Veda, tr. by Ralph T.H. Griffith, [1896], at sacred-texts.com

 

HYMN LIV. Vastospati.

 

1. ACKNOWLEDGE us, O Guardian of the Homestead: bring no disease, and give us happy entrance.
Whate’er we ask of thee, be pleased to grant it, and prosper thou quadrupeds and bipeds.

 

2 Protector of the Home, be our promoter: increase our wealth in kine and steeds, O Indu.
May we be ever-youthful in thy friendship: be pleased in us as in his sons a father.

 

3 Through thy dear fellowship that bringeth welfare, may we be victors, Guardian of the Dwelling!
Protect our happiness in rest and labour. Preserve us evermore, ye Gods, with blessings.

 

------------------------------------

Sitopanishad - Atharva Veda

 

vaastuvedo dhanurvedo gaandharvashcha tathaa mune .
aayurvedashcha pa~nchaite upavedaaH prakiirtitaaH .

 

--------------------------------
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vastu_shastra

 

http://www.tantraakriyas.org/articleastro.html

 

http://www.vastuved.com/home.htm

 

http://vastulibrary.com/articles/vastu-purush.html

 

 

Regards,

 

sunder

 

 

 

 

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[Hnbhat B.R.]

On Thu, Jun 14, 2012 at 9:41 PM, Swaroop Sharma <swaroop...@gmail.com> wrote:

Dears,

Namaste,

I am curious to know the root of the word vAstu. I am aware of the vAstu-puruSha homa, conducted a day before the house warming ceremony. I can also chant the mantra of vAstu-puruSha, but what I am yet to decipher is, its Vedic roots and etymology. Are there authentic scriptures written by scholars about vAstu or is it a contribution of the self claimed vAstu-GYAnIs and vAstu-vishaaradas? 

The question is equal in the case of Veda-s also even if the roots are traced to Vedic Literature:

अग्निहोत्रं त्रयो वेदास्त्रिदण्डं भस्मगुण्ठनम्‌ ।

बुद्धिपौरुषहीनानां जीविका धातृनिर्मिता ॥२॥

त्रयो वेदस्य कर्तारो भण्डधूर्तनिशाचराः ।

जर्भरीतुर्फरीत्यादि पण्डितानां वचः स्मृतम्‌ ॥१०॥

Long ago raised by the Intellectual Teacher बृहस्पति to teach चार्वाक materialist school.

Mr. Sunder had taken pains to show the roots in Vedic Literature.

 

Isn't it ironically amazing to know that country filled with Kubera-corners is still Developing Nation (Financially) and many countries which are not exposed to such ideas are financially well off! If anybody can provide with reference the meaning of the vAstu-puruSha mantra, I would be very happy :-)

Dhanyavad 

 Now the question may be focused on whether the so called वास्तुविज्ञान or शिल्पशास्त्र the technical Indian Science of Architecture is to be associated with religious beliefs or not. Here lies the precise answer to the question. Whether it is compatible with modern architecture or not is a different question and the religious benefits ascribed to it goes with the so called benefits of Vedic mantra-s too equal as ascertained in the lines above.

A similar discussion was popping up in many ways in another group of scholars, as to whether शब्द in the Indian Philosophy of Language, is नित्य and the correct usage of words ascribed to the   physical sounds of speech is applicable to all other speeches of humankind. To sum up, 

अनादिनिधनं ब्रह्म शब्दतत्त्वं यदक्षरम्।

विवर्ततेऽर्थभावेन प्रक्रिया जगतो यथा॥

is the philosophy of language propounded by भर्तृहरि, and the question immediately raised the "एकः शब्दः सुष्ठु प्रयुक्तः स्वर्गे लोके कामधुग् भवति" is limited to Sanskrit words only or applicable to the words in any language of the humankind. 

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/bvparishat/moXZPCz08_0

Why Sanskrit words only deserve the merits of mantra-s? than other words in other languages?

https://groups.google.com/d/topic/bvparishat/0YzN4HXL-O4/discussion

This is my sincere opinion.

--
Dr. Hari Narayana Bhat B.R. M.A., Ph.D.,
Research Scholar,

Ecole française d'Extrême-OrientCentre de Pondichéry

16 & 19, Rue Dumas

Pondichéry - 605 001

[Hnbhat B.R.]

As for the derivation of the word वास्तोष्पति I have attached a pdf file extract from the definition from शब्दकल्पद्रुम. It refers to Indra generally and there we can found specific description of the वास्तुपुरुष in the related literature with different parts of the house identified in the body of वास्तुपुरुष. Whether both could be identified or not is again would give rise a heated discussion.

The grammatical etymology for the word वास्तु is as follows: वसन्ति प्राणिनो यत्र - "वसेरगारे णिच्च" (उणादि १.७०) from the root वस निवासे (to live) with the suffix तु strictly in the sense the dwelling place or house (अगार) which  is extended to apply to the site also for building the house.

[Ajit Gargeshwari]

Used from the Vedic times Vastu Shastra enjoyed a revival since the 1960s. Vaastu sasthra, means the science of the built  area. It ancient Indian architectural science. This science claims to be in  tune with the natural law, lays down rules to create ideal conditions for living by connecting individual life with cosmic life.

The art of Vastu originates in the Stapatya Veda, a part of the Atharva Veda. It used to be a purely technical subject and it was only confined to architects (Sthapatis) and handed over to their heirs. The principles of construction, architecture, sculpture etc., as enunciated in the epics and treatise on temple architecture, have been incorporated in the science of Vastu.

Our tradition mentions Maya and Vishwakarma as great architects. Matsyapurana mentions the names of 18 sages who are said to have established the science of Vastu.  The sages are Bhrigu,Nagnajit, Shaunak, Atri, Vishalaksha, Garg, Vashishtha, Purandara, Vasudev, Vishwakarma, Bramha, Aniruddha, Maya, Kumara, Shukra, Narad, Nandisha,Brihaspati.

There are more than 60-70 classical Sanskrit texts that dealt with the subject of vaastu, as well as scores of local texts in the various Indian languages. There are many practices which remained unrecorded but were handed down as skills from father to son. This included the preparation of materials such as bricks and lime, the dressing of stone, the preparation of timber, the bonding and joining of various materials and curing of surfaces.

The following are some of the important ancient works of Vastu Shastra:

Vishwakarma Vastu Shastra, Samarangana Sutradhar, Mandana Sutradhar, Rajasirnha Vastu, Deeparnava, Shilparatna, Mayamata, Manasara, Manushyalaya Chandrika, Kashyapa Shilpa, Aparajita Pricha, Vishwakarma Prakash , Sanatkumara Vastu Shastra.

Manasara Silpa Shastra (by Manasara), Mayamatam (by the Mayasuras),Iswakarma Vaastushastra (by Viswakarma), Samarangana Sutradara (by Raja Bhoja), Aparajita Priccha (a dialogue between Viswakarma and his son Aparajita, written by Bhuvanadevacharya) Silparatna.

References to Vastu Shastra are also found in the following Agamic and Pauranic literature:

Karnikagama, Vaikhanasagama, Agni Purana, Vishnudharmottar Purana, Bhavishya Purana, Suprabhedagama, Hayasirsha Tantra, Matsya Purana, Bramhanda Purana.

 Jyotis-Vastu,   Silpa Ratna, Manasara,Vastu Pradeepa, Viswa Karma's Vastu Shastra,Kasyapa Samhita,  Maya Samhita

 Bhrugu Samhita etc.

Many of the book mentioned above have been edited and published.

The art of Vastu originates in the Stapatya Veda, a part of the Atharva Veda. It used to be a purely technical subject and it was only confined to architects (Sthapatis) . The principles of construction, architecture, sculpture etc., as enunciated in the epics and treatise on temple architecture, have been incorporated in the science of Vastu.

Mayamatam and Vastu Prakash have been found to be the best. Mayamatam was edited by the hierarchy of Architects known as the Mayasuras while Vastu Prakash was edited by the mythical architect, Acharya Vishwakarma.

Though, Vastu Prakash is a notable Text, it is an individual’s concept and has it’s limitations whereas the Mayamatam is a hierarchy which originated from the Ramayan era to the Mahabharat era and beyond. Therefore, Mayamatam evolved over the centuries and is considered the most relevant today.

It is interesting to note that Jyotisha is divided into 5 parts Siddhanta, Muhurtha, Jatka, Prasna and Vastu.

Vastu Shastra therefore is a strong and a well established tradition of Architecture which is rich with philosophy, legacy, ancient texts, and a sacred commitment to create each home as an abode of God.

Regards

Ajit Gargeshwari

On Thu, Jun 14, 2012 at 9:41 PM, Swaroop Sharma <swaroop...@gmail.com> wrote: