laying-out procedures for buildings according to Vastu (ORIENTATION) - Printable Version

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laying-out procedures for buildings according to Vastu (ORIENTATION) - Manish Jain - 07-08-2021

Mayamatam मयमतम्
TREATISE OF HOUSING, ARCHITECTURE AND ICONOGRAPHY
by bruno dagens, Authentic book on ancient vastu sastra 


षष्ठोऽध्यायः  दिक्परिच्छेदः 
CHAPTER 6 ORIENTATION


Orientation and laying out

Chapter 6 deals with the laying-out procedures for buildings and settlements. The orientation of the site is made according to the classic method with a gnomon (sankhu). 



Orientation 
(A, B: points where the shadow touches the circle in the morning and evening respectively)



On this point the text presents the apacchāyā  which is said to be a factor that allows for the rectification of the rough indication furnished by the gnomon; in reality, as shown by Michio Yano, this development on apacchaya (found in the same context in several texts) has nothing to do with the orientation but simply gives a method of expressing the variation of the length of the noon-shadows in a modified linear function, which method would seem to have its far off origin in Babylonia "The unresolved question remains as to how and why this development has been systematically introduced in the orientation rules.

The layout proper uses stakes and rope ; the indications given are not very clear but it would seem that a first line of reference which is called "pramanasutra" (measuring line) and which marks the limits of the main body of the building, having been laid down, a second one (paryantasútra, "line of limit") is drawn which marks the extreme limits of the delineated space. This second line is only mentioned once more in the text (under the name simasutra), apropos houses (27.15); the first line, however, appears under various names (rjusutra, manastitra), as that from which are determined the projections of elements which are going to be added to the main building as well as the recesses which correspond to the recessed parts of the facades .


These two lines are evidently used for both edifices and settlements since there are instructions for drawing them in either case (6.21-24). Verses 6.24-26 explain how the lines are drawn from the centre of the house thus allowing for the accurate laying-out of the principal main building of a house with four main buildings (catussala) according to the category of its occupants (see as well 27.15 sq.).

chapter-6 

Now I give the method of determining the cardinal points with the help of a gnomon. (One should proceed) at sunrise during a month when the solar path is. towards the north² during a bright fortnight, when sunrise is beautiful, the sun is in the asterism of the appropriate fortnight and when there are no spots on the solar disc.³

A piece of ground in the middle of the chosen site should be levelled by the water method; this must be a square of one square pole in the centre of which the gnomon should be set.

The gnomon

Herewith the dimensions of the gnomon; the best is one cubit long, its diameter is one digit at the top and five at the bottom, it is perfectly circular and without irregularities; one of medium size (has a length of) eighteen digits and a small one a length of twelve or nine digits, their diameter at the top and bottom being (in all cases) proportionate to their length.

The materials prescribed for the making of the gnomon are as follows: ivory, sandalwood, wood of khadira, kadara, śami, śšāka or tinduka or other hard woods; its tip should be perfectly circular.

When the gnomon has been made it is set up in the chosen place at sunrise, then a circle is drawn of which the gnomon is the centre and of which the diameter is double the length of the gnomon.


The line which joins the two points where the shadow (of the gnomon) has touched the circle, in the morning and in the evening, gives the cast-west direction. The line which passes through the space between these two points and (which is like that which) connects the head and tail of a carp, is the north-south axis; the sage should draw these two lines. Then the circles which have their centres at the east and west points should be drawn."

The apacchaya

(When the sun) is in Taurus or in Virgo there is no apacchāyā; when it is in Aries, Gemini, Leo or Libra the (east-west axis) must be put back two digits; when it is in Cancer, Scorpio or Pisces it must be adjusted by four digits; when it is in Sagittarius or Aquarius (it must be adjusted) by six digits and when it is in Capricorn by eight digits. The east-west line is to be fixed after it has been moved to the right or to the left of the shadow.

The rope

The rope measures eight poles and should be made with palm tree or ketaka fibres or with strips of cotton or with bark of nyagrodha or with darbba grass. It has a uniform thickness of one digit at most. For gods, brahmins and kings it is made of three strands and it is without knots but for the other two classes it is made of no more than two."

The stakes

 The following woods should be used for stakes: khadira, khadira, madbuka, kşirini or other hard woods. The length of the stakes goes from eleven to twenty-one digits, their diameter is that of a closed fist and their bottom end is pointed.



18-19a Grasping the stake in his left hand and holding a pebble in the right, the sage architect, turning to the east or the north, must knock eight successive times at the command of the sthapaka.

Placing the cords

19b-21a What is called 'pramana cord' is determined by the prescribed dimensions (of the intended construction). 13 The paryanta cord goes round the outside of that (area determined by the pramana cord)." The cords which establish (certain placings) such as that of the foundation deposit, those which determine the positions of the gods, those with which the diagram is drawn, all are spoken of as 'determinating' (vinyasa) cords. ¹5

21b-22 The foundation deposit for houses is to the south and it is in that direction that the cord must be cast first of all. Then a stake is set into the ground at a distance from the cord equal to the length of the stake; this is (the limit of) the adjustment layer of an entrance or a wall, ¹6

23-24a In towns, villages and forts the cord must first of all be cast towards the north-west, then from south to north and east to west, then west to cast and north to south.

24b-25 (In a house) the cord which goes from the square of Brahma¹ towards 17 the east is called trisutra, that going west is called dhana, that going south dbanya and that which goes from the square of Brahmä towards the north is called sukha, 


The pramana is the cord which gives the dimension of the sukba (-alaya). For the sake of solidity (the stakes) are to be driven in all around the (central) pavilion at a distance of one, two or three cubits, ¹

The apaccháyà (cont.)

(The east-west line) should be established with adjustments of the following numbers of digits for each ten-day period of each month (Aries) two, one, zero, (Taurus) zero, one, two, (Gemini) two, three, four, (Cancer) four, three, two, (Leo) two, one, zero, (Virgo) zero, one, two, (Libra) two, three, four, (Scorpio) four, five, six, (Sagittarius) six, seven, eight, (Capricorn) eight, seven, six, (Aquarius) six, five, four, (Pisces) four, three, two, 20

When the course of the sun has been taken into consideration in relation to the constellations, the indicated adjustment should be made when necessary; this correction once made, the line is drawn from the stake and the ground can be prepared.

Thus ends, in the Mayamata, treatise on dwelling. the sixth chapter: ORIENTATION.



वक्ष्येऽहं दिक्परिच्छेदं शङ्कुनार्कोदये सति । उत्तरायणमासे तु शुक्लपक्षे शुभोदये ॥ १ ॥ 
प्रशस्तपक्षनक्षत्रे’ विमले सूर्यमण्डले । गृहीतवास्तुमध्ये तु समं कृत्वा भुवः स्थलम् ॥ २ ॥ 
जलेन दण्डमात्रेण समं तु चतुरश्रकम् ।[ शङ्कुलक्षणम् ] तन्मध्ये स्थापयेच्छङ्कं तन्मानौंमधुनोच्यते ।। ३ ।। 
अष्टादशाङ्गुलं मध्यं कन्यसं द्वादशाङ्गुलम् । 'आयामसदृशं नाहं’ मूलेऽये तु नवाङ्गुलम् ॥ ५॥ 
दन्तं वै चन्दनं चैव खदिरः कदरः' शमी । शङ्कुद्विगुणमानेन तन्मध्ये मण्डलं लिखेत् । पूर्वापराह्नयोश्छाया यदि तन्मण्डलान्तगा३ ॥ ८ ॥

“अरत्निमात्रमायाममग्रमेकाङ्गुलं भवेत् । मूलं पञ्चाङ्गुलं व्यासं सुवृत्तं निर्व्रणं वरम् ॥ ४ ॥

शाकश्च तिन्दुकश्चैव शङ्कुवृक्षा उदीरिताः१° ॥ ६ ॥ 
अन्यैः सारद्रुमैः प्रोक्तं तस्याग्रं चित्रवृत्तकम्” । शत्रुं कृत्वा दिनादौ तु स्थापयेदात्तभूतले± ॥७॥

"तद्विन्दुद्वयगं सूत्रं पूर्वापरदिशीष्यते । बिन्दुद्वयान्तर'' भ्रान्तशफराननपुच्छगम् ॥ ९॥

सूत्राणि स्थपतिः प्राज्ञः प्रागुत्तरमुखानि च । “दक्षिणोत्तरगं सूत्रमेवं सूत्रद्वयं न्यसेत् ।

उदगाद्यपरान्तानि पर्यन्तानि विनिक्षिपेत् ॥ १० ॥

[ अपच्छाया ]

कन्यायां वृषभे राशावपच्छायात्र" नास्ति हि ॥ ११ ॥ मेषे च मिथुने सिंहे तुलायां द्व्यङ्गुलं नयेत् । धनुःकुम्भे षडङ्गुत्यं मकरेऽष्टाङ्गुलं तथा । छायाया दक्षिणे वामे नीत्वा सूत्रं प्रचारयेत् ॥ १३ ॥

कुर्लीरे वृश्चिके मत्स्ये शोधयेच्चतुरङ्गुलम् ॥ १२ ॥

[ रज्जुलक्षणम् ]

अष्टयष्ट्यायता रज्जुस्तालकेतकवल्कलैः20 । कार्पासपट्टसूत्रैश्च दर्भेर्न्यग्रोधवल्कलैः ॥ १४ ॥

2"अङ्गुलाग्र”समस्थूला त्रिवर्तिर्ग्रन्थिवर्जिता । 

देवद्विजमहीपानां शेषयोश्च द्विवर्त्तिका ॥ १५ ॥

[ खातशङ्कुलक्षणम् ]

खदिरः खादिरश्चैव मधूकः क्षीरिणी" तथा ।

खातशङ्कुद्रुमाः प्रोक्ता अन्यं वा सारदारुजम्“॥ १६ ॥

एकादशाङ्गुलाद्येकविंशन्मात्रं तु दैर्घ्यतः 25 1

पूर्णमुष्टिस्तु नाहं स्यान्मूलं सूचीनिभं भवेत् ॥ १७॥


गृहीत्वा वामहस्तेन प्राङ्मुखो वाप्युदङ्मुखः । २“दक्षिणेनाष्ठीलं गृह्य ताडयेदष्टभिः क्रमात् ॥ १८ ॥ प्रहारैः स्थपतिः प्राज्ञस्तत् कुर्यात्” स्थापकाज्ञया ।

[ सूत्रविन्यासम् ]

प्रमाणसूत्रमित्युक्तं प्रमाणैर्निश्चितं हि यत् ॥ १९ ॥ तद्बहिः परितो भागे सूत्रं पर्यन्तमिष्यते । गर्भसूत्रादिविन्याससूत्रं देवपदोचितम् ॥ २० ॥ पदविन्याससूत्रं हि विन्यासः25 सूत्रमिष्यते । 29गृहाणां दक्षिणे गर्भस्तत्पार्श्वे सूत्रपातनम् ॥ २१ ॥ तत्सूत्राच्छङ्कुमानेन नीत्वा शङ्कु निखानयेत् । उपानं निष्क्रमार्थं वा भित्त्यर्थं वाऽथ तद् भवेत् ॥ २२ ॥ नगरग्रामदुर्गेषु वाय्वादी” रज्जुपातनम् । 33अवाच्याशाद्युदीच्यन्तं प्राक्प्रत्यग्गतसूत्रकम् ॥ २३ ॥ प्रतीच्याशादिपूर्वान्तं विसृजेद् दक्षिणोत्तरम् । ब्रह्मस्थानात् पूर्वगतं तत् त्रिसूत्रं“ तदुच्यते ॥ २४ ॥ ततो धनं पश्चिमगं धान्यं दक्षिणगं ततः । ब्रह्मस्थानादुत्तरगं सुखमित्यभिधीयते ॥ २५ ॥

"सुखप्रमाणं यत् सूत्रं तत्प्रमाणमिहोच्यते । एकहस्तं द्विहस्तं वा त्रिहस्तं परितोऽधिकम् ॥ २६ ॥ || २६ || विमानं मण्डपव्यासात् खानयेत् तद्बलार्थकम् ॥

[ पुनरपच्छाया ]

द्व्येकं नो नैकनेत्रे नयनगुणयुगं चाब्धिरुद्राक्षमक्षी 7 नेत्रैकं नो न चन्द्रं नयननयनकं वह्निवेदाब्धिबाणम् । 38

षट्षट्सप्ताष्टकाष्टैर्मुनिरसरसकं भूतवेदाध्यजाक्षं नेत्रं मात्रं " च मेषादिषु दशदशकेऽस्मिन् दिने त्यज्य युञ्ज्यात्

4 समीक्ष्य भानोर्गमनं सराशिकं 

त्यजेत् पुरोक्ताङ्गलिमन्त्रयुक्तितः ।

ततस्तु "काष्ठादुपगृह्य तद्वशाद् विसृज्य सूत्रं विदधीत च स्थलम् ॥ २८३ ।।

इति मयमते वस्तुशास्त्रे दिक्परिच्छेदो नाम षष्ठोऽध्यायः

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