What is Vastu Shastra? Meaning, principles and uses

This guide explains where Vastu comes from, the ideas it rests on and what people use it for today. It also says plainly what Vastu is not, because a calm and practical reading of the rules is far more useful than worrying about getting something wrong.

Where Vastu comes from

The word vastu means a dwelling or the site it stands on, and shastra means a body of knowledge. Vastu is traditionally linked with Sthapatya Veda, the branch of ancient learning that deals with architecture and building.

Two of the best known classical texts are the Mayamata and the Manasara. They cover far more than houses: temples, villages, town planning, measurements, materials and the rituals around starting construction. For centuries this knowledge was passed down through builders, known as sthapatis, and through priests who guided new construction.

Today most people meet Vastu through books and consultants. Schools and families of consultants differ on some details, so it is normal to hear two slightly different answers to the same question. The core ideas, however, are shared widely.

The five elements (pancha bhuta)

Vastu sees a home as a balance of five elements. Each is traditionally given its own part of the plot, and rooms that use that element are placed there. The four corners and the centre are the pairings almost every source agrees on; the cardinal directions added after them follow a common modern zone scheme, and practitioners differ on those (some link the west with water, the realm of Varuna).

• Earth (prithvi): the south-west, kept heavy, solid and stable.
• Water (jal): the north-east and north, kept light, clean and open.
• Fire (agni): the south-east and south, the traditional place for the kitchen.
• Air (vayu): the north-west and east, linked with movement and fresh air.
• Space (akash): the centre, or Brahmasthan, and the west; the centre is kept open.

The four pillars of Vastu

Many teachers describe Vastu through four areas, often called its four pillars. Together they cover the land, the building, movement and rest.

• Bhoomi: the land itself, its shape, slope, soil and the roads around it.
• Prasad: the building, its layout, the position of each room and the heights of different parts.
• Yaana: vehicles and movement, from where the car is parked to how people move through the home.
• Shayan: rest, which includes the bed, its position and the direction you sleep in.

The Vastu Purusha mandala in plain words

The traditional story tells of a vast being who was pressed to the earth by the gods and agreed to stay there, lying face down with his head in the north-east and his feet in the south-west. This figure, the Vastu Purusha, is said to be present in every plot.

The mandala is a square grid laid over the plot. The version commonly given has 81 squares (9 by 9), with 45 deities assigned to different squares and Brahma at the centre. In practice this leads to three simple rules: keep the north-east, where the head lies, light and clean; keep the south-west, where the feet rest, heavy and closed; and keep the centre open.

What people use Vastu for

People turn to Vastu at a few common moments. It is a tradition and a way of thinking about space, not a promise of any result, and it works alongside sound construction, good ventilation and common sense, never instead of them.

• Choosing a plot or a flat, and comparing two options.
• Planning a new house before the drawings are final.
• Rearranging an existing home without breaking walls.
• Setting up an office, a shop or a study corner.
• Deciding where to sleep, sit, cook and pray for a calmer daily routine.

Vastu and Feng Shui

Feng Shui comes from China and also works with directions and the flow of energy. It uses its own set of elements, including wood and metal, and its own map of the home. Vastu is tied to the eight compass directions, the path of the sun across India and the five elements listed above.

The two overlap in places but give different advice in others, so it is wise not to mix remedies from both without guidance.

Adjustments without rebuilding

• Many consultants suggest starting with clutter: clearing the north-east and the centre is the simplest change in any home.
• Many consultants suggest letting morning light into the east and north, with lighter curtains on those windows.
• Moving the heaviest cupboard or bed to the south-west is commonly suggested before any other change.
• A small lamp or diya in the north-east during prayer is a traditional practice many families follow.

These are traditional practices that many families follow. They vary between Vastu schools; for your own home, a consultant can say which matter most.

Related Vastu guides

• Benefits of Vastu Shastra: What Vastu aims for in a home or office, the practical sense behind its rules, and what it cannot do.
• Vastu directions: Deity, planet, element and the right rooms for each of the eight directions, and how to find them at home.
• Vastu tips for home: Where each room traditionally goes, how to treat the centre and the corners, and what to change in a flat.
• Vastu colours: The shades traditionally linked with each direction and room, with easy ways to use them in a rented home.
• Vastu remedies without demolition: Room use, colours, light, clutter, mirrors, plants, salt and yantras: traditional fixes, and when to rebuild.
• Tortoise Vastu: A Feng Shui custom often mixed with Vastu: where the tortoise is commonly kept and the kinds people use.

Your personal best directions come from your Kua number. Check your whole home with the house Vastu calculator, see whether your house number suits you, and find your lucky number. More tools: all free calculators.