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GeoVastuGyan Kosh
Principle

Avoid Fly Ash Bricks: Ash Counts as Shalya

Ash of any kind, including thermal power plant fly ash, is treated as shalya (an impure defect, like buried bone). However good the Vastu structure, sun rays falling on fly ash bricks reflect onto the occupants and affect them negatively.
Taught inVastu DiplomaOrigin and Texts of Vastu, Four Controlling Factors, and the North, North-East and East

What it does

Protects occupants from the negative energy of ash-based building material.

Samagri used

See every other use of:

Bricks (Ishtika)

How to do it

  1. 1Identify fly ash bricks: grey, cement-coloured bricks made from ash mixed with cement and sand.
  2. 2Choose other bricks for new construction.

Cautions

  • A building of about a thousand flats made entirely of fly ash bricks carries a large Vastu defect.

Explanation and notes

Vastu lies in the vastu (material) as well as in the direction and the condition of the land, yet today people look only at direction. The forts and temples of the kings, standing for 1000 to 2000 years, show how much the choice of stone and material mattered.

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Principleवास्तु पुरुष

Origin of the Vastu Purush from the Battle with Andhakasur

During the battle with Andhakasur a drop of sweat fell to the earth and produced a being whose rampage made the earth shake. Brahma had him lie face down and promised that he would be worshipped with offerings and that not an inch of land would be built on without remembering him.

Principle

Keep Columns, Pits and Studs Off the Vastu Purush's Marma Points

Every house, however small, carries the Vastu Purush's eyes, nose, ears, hands, feet, heart, navel and other parts, including the marma and ati-marma (vital) points. A column, pit or stud on these points harms the occupants, just as a speck of dust in the eye or an injury to a vital organ harms the body.

Principle

Jain Origin of Vastu: Shilpa Taught by Adi Prabhu to Vishwakarma

In the Jain account, during the bhog bhoomi of the third era kalpavriksha trees granted every wish, until rising sin made them stop giving. Adi Prabhu then taught the six means of livelihood, asi, masi, krishi, vidya, vanijya and shilpa, and gave the complete knowledge of Vastu to his fourth son Vishwakarma.

Principle

Classical Vastu Texts and What Each Teaches

Vastu knowledge passed by memory until it was written down in texts such as Samarangana Sutradhara, Mayamatam, the Skanda, Agni, Vayu and Garuda Puranas, Vishwakarma Prakash, Aparajita Prichha, Praman Manjari, Vastu Rajvallabh, Prasad Mandan, Vastu Mandan and Shilpa Ratna, each with its own focus.

Principle

Which Vastu Texts to Read First, and Why Read the Originals

Start with Vishwakarma Prakash, the simplest, available in Hindi with the Sanskrit shlokas and their meaning (translated by Krishna Kumar Jugnu of Udaipur). Then read Mayamatam, both parts of Samarangana Sutradhara, Manasara and Raj Vallabh.

Principle

A Big River to the South of a Temple Makes It a Mahatirth

Raj Vallabh states that a temple with a large river flowing to its South becomes not merely a tirth but a mahatirth, because for a temple the water element stands for peace. Rules made for homes must not be applied mechanically to temples.