Five basic elements of Vastu shastra

Vaastu is the science of direction and architecture that combines all the five elements of nature and balances them with the man and the material. Vaastu Shastra is creating a congenial settings or a place to live or work, in most scientific way taking advantages of the benefits bestowed by the five elements called “Paancha Maha Bhootas” of the nature thereby paving the way for enhanced health, wealth, prosperity and happiness in an enlightened environment.

The world comprises five basic elements, also known as the Paanchbhootas. They are Earth, Water, Air, Fire and Space. Out of the nine planets, our planet has life because of the presence of these five elements.

EARTH (Bhumi):- Earth, the third planet in order from the sun, is a big magnet with North and South poles as centers of attractions. Its magnetic field and gravitational force has telling effects on everything on the Earth, living and non-living.

WATER (Jala) :- This is represented by rain ,river ,sea and is in the form of liquid , solid(ice) and gas (steam , cloud ) . It forms part of every plant and animal. Our blood is nothing but water with haemoglobin and oxygen.

AIR (Vayu):- As a life supporting element, air is very powerful life source. Human physical comfort values are directly and sensitively dependent on correct humidity, air flow, temperature of air, air pressure, air composition and its content.

FIRE (Agni):- It represents light and heat without which the life will extinct. All the days and nights, seasons, energy, enthusiasm, passion, vigour is because of light and heat only.

SPACE (Aakasha):- It is the shelter provider to all the above elements.

There is an invisible and constant relation between all the five elements. Thus, the man can improve his conditions by properly designing his buildings by understanding the effectiveness of these five natural forces.

VASTU Shastra Home Design and Happiness

There are two specific aspects covering Vastu Purusha Mandala. Vastu Purusha is the mystical or spiritual lord of a Mandala or the enclosed ground area, wherein he lies with his face down. The mandala is a cosmic diagram of the enclosure where Vastu Purusha manifests. Vastu Purusha identifies the importance of an area by placing his head to the north-east (balanced thinking) and his lower body to the south-west (stability and strength). His navel is in the center of the area (cosmic awareness) and his hands to the north-west and south-east (movement and energy). Vastu Purusha is space personified and he is said to have been born from Lord Siva's perspiration, when the Lord fought the demon Andhaka and ultimately killed him.

Each enclosure, whether it is for human habitation (residences, offices, etc.) or divine habitation (temples and other religious structures) is identified with a plan that is referred to as the Vastu Purusha Mandala. It symbolically signifies the three aspects of a structure - para, sookshma and sthoola. Most texts on Vastu Sastra talk about the 64 module plan for temples and shrines and the 81 module plan for residences and other buildings that are not religious structures. The mandala is an area of space defined by an enclosure. Vastu Purusha is super imposed into the enclosure to indicate the birth of a structure from Nature. The Vastu Purusha is held in place by 45 deities — 32 in the outer enclosure and 13 in the inner enclosures. Food and fruit are offered to these deities before construction to please the Vastu Purusha, who confers health, prosperity, peace and happiness to the residents.