(Previously published on Atoot.com)
Vastu shastra as we all know is a hundred per cent Indian concept. In ancient times, it was believed that for peace and harmony, one should build their house in a certain way. That certain way later came to be known as vaastu shastra. It is an ancient science of architecture for leading a peaceful life. Vastu Shastra talks about the significance of directional alignments which help in developing a spiritual symmetry.
In vastu shastra, “vastu” implies an object, land or any material and “shastra” means science. Vastu shastra is believed to be written somewhere between 3000 BC and 6000 BC. Many of us mix religion with vastu, which is actually a science. One can also see a lot of similarities between vastu shastra and feng shui. The difference is that vastu is more concerned towards overall shape and structure and feng shui on the contrary accepts yin and yang (positive and negative energy).
As per vastu shastra our world consists of 5 natural elements which makes life in this planet possible known as “paanch maha bhoota”. And they are the most important aspect of vastu shastra. These “five main elements” are
- Earth- its magnetic and gravitational fields play major part in one’s life
- Water- it is everywhere in solid, liquid or gaseous state
- Air- is a life supporting element without which everything is still
- Fire- represents light and is said to be the great purifier
- Space- provides shelter and mother of all the above sources
All these elements play an important role in the study of Vastu Shastra.