Vastu Shastra
Vastu Shastra is the Indian tradition of spatial layout and the closest counterpart to feng shui. Its rules are stricter: each cardinal direction is assigned to an element and a deity, and that determines where the kitchen, the bedroom and the entrance should be.
What this method is
Vastu is part of the Vedic architectural tradition, and its texts go back to treatises on temple building. Unlike feng shui, where much depends on calculations by date, in Vastu almost everything is determined by the cardinal directions and the layout.
At its core is the Vastu Purusha Mandala: the plot is divided by a grid into 81 cells (9 by 9) or 64 (8 by 8). Around the edge of the grid stand 32 deities, with 13 more inside, and Brahma takes up the nine cells in the center. In modern practice the plan is usually divided more simply, into nine zones: the eight directions and the center. The center is called the Brahmasthan, and it's supposed to be left open: no columns, no heavy furniture, no bathroom.
How the calculation is done
The calculator above goes through your apartment in the same steps as a Vastu consultant.
- Ties the plan to the cardinal directions. You stand in the doorway facing into the apartment and check on a compass which way you're facing: the middle of the far side of the plan is that direction, and the other zones follow around the circle.
- Rates the entrance by the Brihat Samhita of Varahamihira (6th century). Each wall is divided into eight parts, each with its own deity, and only 8 of the 32 parts are named as favorable for a door. All four corners are unfavorable for a door.
- Checks the place of each room against the table of assignments: kitchen in the southeast, master bedroom in the southwest, water and the prayer room in the northeast, toilet in the west or northwest, the center left open.
- Takes into account missing corners and your habits: which way your head points when you sleep, and which way you face at the stove and at your desk.
- Calculates a balance out of 100 and names what to fix first — without rebuilding, using the corrections the tradition itself offers.
The logic behind the rules
Vastu's rules aren't arbitrary: a good share of them derive from India's climate and the path of the sun.
- Northeast for water and morning light. Morning sun from the east is considered beneficial, so that's where the windows and light rooms go.
- Southeast for the kitchen. The zone of Agni, the god of fire; the morning sun warms and dries out this part of the house early in the day.
- Southwest for heavy things. The hottest sun, in the afternoon, shines from the southwest, so that's where the thick walls, storerooms and the master bedroom go.
- The center left open. In a traditional house this was the inner courtyard, which ventilated and lit the building.
In the Russian climate some of these rationales don't hold, and it's worth understanding that: the rules are carried over as tradition, not as engineering solutions.
Vastu and feng shui
| Vastu | Feng Shui | |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | India | China |
| What matters most | Cardinal directions and layout | Calculation by date and direction |
| Center of the home | Brahmasthan: left open; in an old house this was the inner courtyard | Tai chi: kept clear and clean |
| Kitchen | Strictly southeast | Depends on the chart |
| Calculation for a person | Ayadi: the dimensions of the house are checked against the owner's lunar birth star | Kua Number |
It's best not to mix them: their recommendations contradict each other on the simplest questions, such as where the kitchen goes.
Frequently asked questions
Can Vastu be applied to an existing apartment?
Partly. You move what can be moved: the bedroom, the workspace, storage. In a prefab concrete building, the kitchen and bathroom stay where they are.
What if the entrance faces southwest?
The tradition considers this unfavorable and offers corrections: a heavy door, a threshold, restricting the passage. Practitioners don't usually advise rebuilding the entrance because of it.
Why isn't a northeast entrance considered the best?
The northeast is the best zone for water and prayer, and modern consultants often recommend an entrance there. But in the Brihat Samhita both parts of the wall right by the northeast corner are unfavorable for a door: on the east side “harm from fire,” on the north side “loss of money.” A favorable door on the north or east wall is closer to the middle of the wall.
Do I need a specialist?
For an apartment you live in, no — the direction tables are openly available. When building a house from scratch, Indian practice is to consult a Vastu consultant at the design stage.