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.