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Origin Of
Vasthu Sastra
The
term “vasthu” is derived from the word vasa,
meaning habitat and, in Sanskrit, vast is referred to
as the site for construction of a residence. The word”
Vasthu” refers to the both the site on which a
building is raised and to the building itself. ”Sastra”
means science
Other terms that refer to the same things include:
are the art of placement, science of architecture, science
of construction, science of dwelling, science of energy
flow, and law of nature.
It is belived that vasthu developed sometime between
10,000 BC and 5,000 BC.
The first mention of vasthu is in the rig Veda and subsequently
one can find reference to it in the holy epics of Ramayana
and Mahabharata, in an era when philosophy was a way
of life.
In the ancient Vedic literature, especially
in the Matsya purana, the 18 originators of the science
of vasthu sastra are mentioned.
Among them , Maya the great scientist, architect and
town planner of old India is generally recognized as
the author of Vasthu Sastra.
The science of town planning during the vedic period
(2500 BC – 200Ad) was given paramount importance
to the extent that Indo- Aryans perfectly shaped human
settlements into various categories depending upon the
characteristics of the population.
The application of vasthu extended not only to residences
and temples but also to military barracks, market places,
ports, administration buildings and, of course, palaces,
of which many have withstood the test of time.
Vasthu goes beyond architecture. Ancient masters have
recorded its principles which encompass the geological,
geophysical and , above all, cosmological and celestial.
In ancient India, architecture, medicine, astrology,
philosophy and spiritually exist in complete cross relations
to one another, their boundaries overlapping and enriching
one another.Vasthu is also connected to other sciences
– astrology and ayurveda ( science of holistic
medicine and longevity).
In the early days, Vasthu was propagated via Hindusium
as a channel to disseminate Knowledge. It is actually
a pure science. For centuries, Vasthu has been widely
used in India in the purchase of properties; there is
a growing global interest in it now. Just like feng
Shui from china, the underlying principle of Vasthu
is to live in.harmony with our enviroment so that the
energy surrounding us works for us rather than against
us.
Vasthu is based on the arrangements and balancing of
the five elements in their proper order and proportions.The
ancient sciences are still applicable in modern times.
Vasthu is not magic, superstition or a religious, although
some of its advocates may consider it part of their
religious rituals. It is also not based on a belief
system.
In short, Vasthu is not a question of faith but is a
fact of life. |