VASTU SHASTRA FACTORS | THE EIGHT CARDINAL DIRECTIONS

The science of Vastu Shastra identifies eight cardinal directions. According to Vastu Shastra, if the living and working spaces are oriented according to these directions, they have a direct positive influence on the residents. So, Vastu Shastra lays down guidelines on the layout of the rooms of a house, in accordance with the cardinal directions.

WHAT ARE THE EIGHT CARDINAL DIRECTIONS ACCORDING TO VASTU SHASTRA?

The entire universe exists in endless space and has no direction whatsoever. However, on Earth the cardinal directions are defined with respect to the position of the Sun. Vastu Shastra recognises eight Cardinal directions. They are:

East (poorva): It is common knowledge that the Sun rises in the East.
West (Paschima): The Sun sets in the West.
North (Uttara): When one faces the East, the direction to the left is the North.
South (Dakshina): When one faces the East, the direction to the right is called the South.

The corner where two Cardinal directions meet, is also significant since it combines the forces emanating from both the directions.

North-East (Eeshanya): This is where the North and East meet.
North-West (Vaayavya): This is where the North and the West meet.
South-West (Nairuthya): This is where the South and the West meet.
South-East (Aagneya): This is where the South and the East meet.

WHAT IS THE LOGIC BEHIND THE POSITIONING OF DIFFERENT ROOMS ACCORDING TO THE CARDINAL DIRECTIONS?

According to Vaastu Shastra,  the cardinal directions are governed by symbolic gods who rule various aspects of a human’s life and have certain inherent qualities. So, the positioning of the rooms of the house  in the cardinal directions, was  based on the function of the rooms, in accordance with the nature of the deity ruling that particular area.
The Scientific Reasoning - Vastu Shastra takes into consideration the fact that humans perform different activities at different times of the day. The 24 hours  of 1 solar day are divided into eight parts, representing the eight cardinal directions. The various rooms of a house were designed and oriented towards these Eight cardinal directions, such that at any given time of the day depending on the activity, the  inmates were inadvertently exposed to the useful rays of the sunlight according to the position of the Sun through the day.

Here, I have explained  the ‘eight cardinal directions’, the symbolic gods that rule these directions and the preferred rooms in each direction, according to Vastu Shastra. Since Vaastu is a science, every guideline is based on logic and reasoning. As an Architect, I have attempted to explain these guidelines rationally and scientifically, so that you can decide what you want to follow and what you don’t.

East (Purva) is ruled by the Sun god, Surya: The East, from where the Sun rises represents the essence of all beginnings. It is recommended  in Vaastu, that the main doors and windows of a house face East. The Logic- This is both as a sign of veneration to the Sun and also a way to benefit from the sunlight and air entering the building early morning, since the UV rays of the morning sunlight can engulf the interior of the house and kill all the bacteria that would have multiplied during the night.

North (Uttara) is ruled by the god of wealth, Kubera : The North is the direction of the Pole star, the fixed point in the sky that denotes stability and security. Hence, according to Vaastu, this is the direction to transact all business and the main door and Living room can be placed here. Open spaces can be placed here as well. The Logic -In India, (being in the northern hemisphere), there is constant light form the North. Hence it makes sense to have open spaces in the North, so that the light is not obstructed and can permeate into the House. So the Main entrance door can be here, as it can be easily accessed from the open spaces. The Living room too, can be on this side as it is close to the main door and is convenient for business transactions, since the outsiders will be entertained here.

North-East (Eeshanya): This direction is considered to be the direction of the Supreme Being. Hence it is suggested in Vaastu, that there be no dirt, garbage, heavy structure or toilets or bathrooms in this direction. It is preferable to have the Well or water source in this direction. The Logic – This being the corner where the North and East directions meet, it is the ideal place to have open space so that there are no obstructions to the constant sunlight from the North and the  morning sunlight from the East. It also makes sense to have the Water source here, (in ancient times there was generally an open well) as there is available open space and the UV rays can purify the water. Obviously, it is not advisable to have toilets or a garbage pit near the water source.

West (Paschima) is governed by the god of water, Varuna: As the sun dims we are reminded of endings, the unknown and darkness. According to Vaastu, the West  should not be used for sleeping. However, bathrooms, toilets, staircases, store rooms can be placed here. Trees can also be planted here. The Logic – The West gets heated up, both by the evening sun and by the reflection of it’s infra red rays from the ground – thus retaining the heat till late at night. Hence it is not comfortable to sleep here. Instead, less used rooms like Toilets, Staircase rooms, Store rooms and Trees can be placed here as they will serve as a buffer and prevent the rest of the house from getting heated up. Also, the toilets and store rooms will remain dry and hygienic due to the heat.

North-West (Vaayavya) is the direction of the wind God, Vaayu: Vaastu recommends placing toilets, garages, pantry in this direction. The Logic -The North-West also gets heated up by the evening sun. So the less used rooms like Toilets, garage, pantry can be placed here as they will serve as a buffer and prevent the rest of the house from getting heated up. Also, the toilets and pantry will remain dry and hygienic.

South (Dakshina) is the direction of Yama, the god of death: The South represents the past and our ancestry. According to Vaastu, the Guest and Children’s bedrooms can be placed here. No open space like gardens, Balconies, Terraces should be in this direction. The Logic - This side does not get too heated up nor too cold at night and hence is the ideal place for Bedrooms. Also, by avoiding open spaces and balconies, the sunlight reflected from the West to this direction is obstructed and hence the house does not get heated up.

South-West (Nairutya) is the direction of Nairuthi or dissolution : As per Vaastu, this is the direction where the owner of the building should have his Master Bedroom, Wardrobes, Safe. The Logic – This being the corner where the South and the West meet, it is best to have a Master bedroom as the room can get good cross ventilation. Since the owner sleeps here it makes sense to have his safe and wardrobes here. Also, the wardrobes should be on the West wall to reduce the heat.

South-East (Aagneya) is the direction of Agni, the god of fire: This is the direction of heat and high levels of energy. Vaastu recommends that all cooking and kitchen related activity be in this direction. The Logic - This is the corner where the South and East directions meet and hence is suitable for a Kitchen as it can benefit from the germicidal UV rays of the morning sun. Also in this position, the S-W wind direction does not affect the fire flames (as in ancient times cooking was done in open air).

Related Topics:

• VASTU SHASTRA
• VASTU SHASTRA FACTORS
• VASTU SHASTRA PRINCIPLES
  
• VASTU GUIDELINES | SELECTION OF SITE
• VASTU GUIDELINES | DESIGN OF A HOUSE
• VASTU GUIDELINES | STAGES OF CONSTRUCTION
• LOGIC BEHIND SUPERSTITIONS