RBSE VU Vastu Vigyan key terms

Traditional Indian architectural science setting rules for orienting and proportioning buildings so that built space stays in harmony with natural forces and cosmic order.

Upaveda attached to the Atharvaveda that deals with architecture, town planning, sculpture, and the placement of structures; a root source of Vastu knowledge.

Classical Sanskrit treatise on architecture attributed to the architect Maya, covering site testing, measurement units, temple forms, and residential layout rules.

Extensive classical compilation on Vastu and Shilpa Shastra describing town plans, building types, proportions, and iconometry used by traditional architects.

The five elements - earth, water, fire, air, and space - whose balanced presence in a building is held to support health, clarity, and prosperity.

Mythic being pinned face-down on the site by the gods; his body map underlies the mandala grid and assigns meaning to each zone of a plot.

Square diagram divided into a grid of pada (cells) with the Vastu Purusha at its centre, used to plan site zoning and building layout.

A single cell of the Vastu Purusha Mandala grid; the number of padas (commonly 64, 81, or 100) determines the mandala type used for planning.

Central zone of the mandala, presided over by Brahma; traditionally kept open, light, and unbuilt to allow free flow of energy through the structure.

Sensitive points on the mandala body of the Vastu Purusha where structural load or heavy elements should be avoided to prevent disturbance to the building's energy.

The eight directional guardians - Indra, Agni, Yama, Nirriti, Varuna, Vayu, Kubera, and Ishana - each ruling a compass direction and its qualities.

Direction or cardinal point; Vastu fixes auspicious directions by solar path, with east and north generally favoured for openings and lighter functions.

Directional axis or central line of a plot; a site is checked for deviation of this axis from true cardinal directions before construction is approved.

The north-east corner, ruled by Ishana (Shiva) and linked with water and spiritual clarity; favoured for prayer space, water storage, and open ground.

Process of judging a land parcel by shape, slope, soil, vegetation, surrounding roads, and orientation before purchase or construction begins.

Traditional site check in which a pit is dug, refilled, and observed for soil behaviour, smell, colour, and moisture to judge land suitability.

Ground-breaking ritual performed before construction, honouring the earth and Vastu Purusha at the site to seek clearance for building.

Ceremony of first entry into a newly built or newly acquired house, timed to an auspicious moment for the family's wellbeing.

Auspicious time window chosen by Panchanga calculations for starting construction, entering a home, or performing remedial rites.

Five-limbed Hindu almanac - tithi, vara, nakshatra, yoga, and karana - used to fix dates for construction, entry, and other Vastu rites.

One of 27 lunar mansions used in Jyotish; certain nakshatras are judged favourable for laying foundations or entering a new dwelling.

A defect in a plot or building - such as a cut corner, wrong slope, or misplaced room - believed to cause imbalance until corrected.

Non-demolition correction applied to a defective space, using colour, metal, mirrors, plants, or placement changes to neutralise the identified dosha.

Geometric diagram used as a remedial and meditative device; placed in a home or workplace to reinforce a specific element or direction.

Remedial technique using pyramid-shaped objects placed in a defective zone to redirect or amplify energy flow without structural change.

Diagram mapping the plot to a tortoise's body, used to assign auspicious building functions to zones and to diagnose site defects.

Missing or truncated corner of a plot; some corners are tolerated, while a cut in the north-east is generally treated as a serious defect.

Open space left between the building line and the plot boundary; its width in each direction is prescribed by Vastu and by local building bye-laws.

Arrangement of rooms, stairs, and service areas within the plot so that each function sits in its prescribed directional zone.

Assigning rooms to directions by function - kitchen to the south-east, master bedroom to the south-west, prayer room to the north-east, and so on.

Unbuilt ground around and within a building; larger open area is preferred in the north and east, and kept minimal in the south and west.

Dividing a building or site into functional blocks - public, private, service, and spiritual - and matching each block to a suitable direction.

Adjusting the five elements in a room through colour, material, water features, or lighting so no single element dominates the space.

Direction-wise choice of wall and furnishing colours, each hue linked to an element and a zone - for example, blues and greens for north and east.

Positioning of beds, desks, and seating so users face favourable directions and heavy items rest in the south and west zones.

Application of Vastu to factories and workshops, placing heavy machinery in the south-west and finished-goods storage in the north-west.

Vastu applied to shops, offices, and showrooms, aligning entrances, cash counters, and owner seating to directions held to favour trade.

Main doorway of a building; its direction and pada position on the facade are assessed for auspiciousness before a plan is finalised.

Measured plan drawn to a fixed ratio between paper and site, used to test proportions, setbacks, and zone alignment before construction.

Traditional Indian unit of length, roughly the forearm, used in classical texts to specify plot and building dimensions.