वास्तु मण्डन (मण्डन सूत्रधार - गृह, राजप्रासाद, दुर्ग एवं नगर-वास्तु सटीक)

INTRODUCTION xvii Consideration of omen was considered to be another important aspect for construction activities. These are known as śakunalakṣaṇam and with their help one could determine the auspiciousness of the place. Direction is another important part for designing any type of building plan. For this reason, the author took the help of the pole star and the gnomon to determine proper direction. On a sunny day with the help of a gnomon one used to find out east-west direction, and at night with the help of pole star one used to find north-south direction. The author mentioned of specific timing for the purpose of deciding on the direction. When the sun is in tulā or meṣa and in between citrā and svāti nakṣatra then it is the right time to determine the direction. To find out śalya in a land, the author took help of astronomical chart. A chart having 28 chambers with 28 nakṣatras, is divided between solar and lunar system. Knowing the position of the sun, moon and the stars, one could determine the presence of śalya in a land and rectify. The second chapter deals with a specific formula known as āyādi ṣaḍvarga. The Āyādi is a cluster of six elements – āya, vyaya, rṁśa, ṛkṣa, yoni, vāra-tithi. The conformity to the perimeter of structure has been nicely covered in this formula. There are six basic components of a building comprising adhisthāna (base), pada or stambha (column), prastara (entablature), karṇa (ear, wings) śikhara (roof) and stupa (dome). The āya represents the group of eight elements beginning with dhvaja, dhuma, siṁha, śva, vṛṣa, khara, kuñjara and dhāṁkṣa. According to Stella Kramrisch these are eight Vāstupuruṣas placed in the eight direction of a plot of the land. However this āya formula is slightly different from that of Vāstumaṇḍana. Vyaya represents the group of three parts, i.e., yakṣa, piśāca and rākṣasa. Yakṣa is less than āya, Piśāca is equal to āya and rākṣasa is more than āya. Again vyaya is divided into eight varieties. These are śānta, paura, pradyota, śrīnanda, Manohara, śrīvatsa, vibhava, cintātmaka. Aṁśa are also of three types – Indra, Yama and Nṛpa. Ṛkṣa, (tārā) are distributed in three groups of nine elements each–suragaṇa, rākṣasagaṇa and manuṣyagaṇa. These twenty-seven tārās are known commonly. Whether the orientation of a building is correct or not and whether the measurements as laid down with regard to the different structures are correct and auspicious conforming to the orientation, are all tested by this formula. Yoni constitutes the length and breadth of a structure, particularly that of a house. A proper and auspicious Yoni is therefore required to be chosen for the structure.