History of Vastu Shastra

Vastu is the ancient Indian science of architecture man-made structures. A part of the Vedas, the word ' Vastu ' in Sanskrit means 'dwelling', and in the modern context it covers all buildings. Vastu pertains to the physical, psychological and spiritual order of the built environment, in consonance with the cosmic energies. It is a study of planetary influences on buildings and the people who live in them, and aims at providing guidelines for proper construction.

Hindus believe that for peace, happiness, health and wealth one should abide by the guidelines of Vastu while building a dwelling. It tells us how to avoid diseases, depression and disasters by living in structures, which allow the presence of a positive cosmic field. Since Vedic wisdom is considered to be synonymous with divine knowledge of the cosmic mind obtained by sages in deep states of meditation, Vastu Shastra or the science of Vastu is thought to contain the guidelines given by the Supreme Being. Delving into history, we find that Vastu  developed during the period of 6000 BC and 3000 BC (Ferguson, Havell and Cunningham) and was handed over by ancient architects through word of mouth or hand-written monographs.

Historically Vastu dates back to the Vedic times. Although there is reference of Vastu in several ancient books, Mayamata and Manasara are the most important ones. Being a technical subject it was confined to the Sthapathis or architects. They laid down several principles for constructing a building taking into account the five elements of nature. Vastu Shastra is based on the importance of the 5 elements of nature (wind, water, earth, fire, space) and the 4 directions (East, West, North, South). Any structure which is not built in accordance with these elements or aligned with the 4 directions will sooner or later pose problems for its inmates. The interplay of nature acting through these elements and directions therefore forms the basis of Vastu.  Vastu Shilpa Shastra, the ancient mystic science and the art of designing and constructing buildings finds its origin in Stapatya Veda, which in turns is a part of Atharvana Veda, one of the four Vedas. Vedas are not new to the other parts of the world and there have been people of all levels who have appreciated the depth, inspirations and insight of Vedic thoughts for many years. Our saints knew various mysterious and mystics of this vast universe even before western scientist could start finding them out. One of the systems discovered by them was VASTU SHASTRA.

Evidently, Vastu is akin to the science of geopathy , the study of the diseases of the earth. In both these two disciplines, for instance, the presence of dampness, dressed stones, beehives and anthills are considered harmful for human habitation. Geopathy recognizes that electromagnetic radiations that are cosmic in origin surrounds the globe, and that radiation distortions can make a site unsafe for construction. In some parts of Austria, children are moved in school, to a different desk, at least once each week, so that learning difficulties are not increased because they may be sitting in a stressed area. Geopathic stress may also attack the immune system and cause conditions like asthma, eczema, migraine, irritable bowel syndrome.

Vastu shastra says that if the structure of your house is so designed that the positive forces override the negative forces then there is a beneficial release of bio-energy, which helps you and your family members to live a happy and healthy life. A positive cosmic field prevails in a "Vastulogically"  constructed house, where the atmosphere is congenial for a smooth and happy life. Contrary to this, if the same structure is built in a manner that the negative forces override the positive, the overbearing negative field makes your actions, efforts and thoughts negative. Herein comes the benefits of Vastu, which guides you to have a positive atmosphere at home.