Chapter XLVI - Adoration of the deity presiding over homesteads (Vastu)

Hari said:—I will now describe in brief the adoration of the Vastu deity presiding over the house which destroys all impediments. Beginning with the north-east corner a worshipper should adore him in a diagram of eighty one rooms. He should adore the head in the north-east corner, feet in the south-west and two hands in the south-east and northwest corners. In a temporary dwelling house, in one’s own house, in a city, in a village, in a merchantile thorough-fare, in palaces, pleasure-houses, forts, temples and Mathas a person should adore the twenty-two deities outside the diagram and thirteen in the end of the same. [The deities are] Isha, Parjanya, Jayanta, the weilder of thunder-bolt (Indra), Surya (sun), Satya (the god of truth), Bhrigu, Akasa (the god of sky), the wind-god, Pusha, Vitatha (the god of untruthfulness), Graha, Kshetra, the two Yamas, Gandharva, Bhrigu-raja, Mriga, the Pitris, Dwouvarika, Sugriva, Pushpadanta, Ganesha, Asura, the two Seshapadas, Roga (god 'of disease), Ahimukhaja, Bhattata, the two Somasarpas, Aditi and Diti. These are the thirty-two deities who should be adored outside. Hear of the four deities who should be worshipped in the end. A learned man should adore the four deities stationed in the four corners, north-east etc, viz. apa, Savitri, Jaya and Rudra,

In the ninth room of the central part of the diagram he should adore Brahma and his eight attendant deities beginning with the east. Hear their names. Aryama, Savita, Vivasvan, Vivudhadhipa, Mitra, Raja-Yakshma, Prithvidhara, and Apavatra are the deities known as encircling Brahma. The group beginning from the north-east is called Durga; while the one beginning from the south-east is called Dur-dhara. Having worshipped the three deities Aditi, Himavanta and Jayanta, as well as Nayika, Kalika, Sakra, Gandharvas— all those Vastu gods, a worshipper should undertake the construction of a divine palace.

First of all the image of the teacher of gods should be erected in front. Then the great seat should be constructed in the south-east corner. The altar of sacrifices should be constructed in the east. The house of scents and flowers should be constructed in the north-east corner. The storeroom should be erected in the north and the cow-shed in the north-west. The room, for keeping water, should be constructed with windows in the west; while that for keeping sacrificial twigs, grass, fuels and weapons should be constructed in the south-west. The guest-house, beautiful and containing beds, shoes, water, fire, lamps and good servants, should be constructed in the south. Other minor houses should be constructed containing water, plantain trees and be adorned with flowers of five colours. A wall should be éiected around the divine edifice, five cubits in height. Thus the divine edifice of Vishnu should be erected containing forests and gardens.

The edifice of Vastu, containing sixty four rooms, should, first of all, be adored. In the central part one of four rooms should be dedicated to Brahma and one of two rooms should be dedicated each to Arjama and other deities. All other celestials have houses of two rooms dedicated to each of them severally. These are the deities known as presiding over sixty four rooms.

Charaki, Vidari and the sinful Rakshasi Putana should be adored in the north-east and other corners. The Hetuka and other deities should be worshipped¹ outside. They are Hetuka, Tripuranta, Agni, Vetalaka, Yama, Agnijihva, Kalaka, Kalara, Ekapadaka, Bhimarupa (terrific-Visaged deity) should be adored in the north-east corner, the regent of the spirits in the nether region, Gandhamali and Kshetrapala in the sky.

A worshipper should next undertake the extension, multiplication, lengthening and the numbering of the Vastu. A person should build his dwelling house before the Vishnu temple and not behind it. And he should sleep on the left side. There is nothing to be questioned in this matter. It is better for those persons whose births are respectively governed by Leo, Libra, and Scorpi, to have the door of the house opening out in the north and for others whose births are governed by Scorpi and the succeeding signs of the Zodiac to have them in the east, south and west. The breadth of the door should be half of its length. And there must be eight doors.