Matsya Purana 256: adhyāyaḥ 256

256.1

bhavananirmāṇavarṇanam.

Sûta said —A wise man should first of all examine the site well and then construct the pillars as above mentioned and the building with specified heights and having downward slopes towards the north with the turrets level and gradually ascending heights—1

256.2

sūta uvāca.
udagādiplavaṃ vāstu samānaśikharaṃ tathā.
parīkṣya pūrvavatkuryyāt stambhocchrāyaṃ vicakṣaṇaḥ .. 256.1

256.3

na devadhūrtasaciva catvārāṇāṃ samantataḥ.
kārayedbhavanaṃ prājño duḥkhaśokabhayaṃ tataḥ .. 256.2

A dwelling house should not be made close to a temple, or near a wicked man's house or near a minister's house or near a square where four ways meet By doing that one invites grief and misery on himself—2

256.4

tasya pradeśāścatvāra stathotsargo'grataḥ śubhaḥ.
pṛṣṭhataḥ pṛṣṭhabhāgastu savyāvartaḥ praśasyate .. 256.3

Some space should be left all round a building The front of a building should not be covered with trees, rather the back of the house should be so covered in the trees If the house be built on the southern side of the ground, then ruin ensues, for the south is the place where the head of the Vâstu deva remains so it is best to construct houses on the left side for thus all the desires of persons are fulfilled After choosing a good and lovely site one should lay its foundation in an auspicious hour ascertained by an astrologer after putting some jewels underneath it Over the jewel is to be placed a stone and on the stone all sorts of seeds are to be kept, then a pillar is to be erected and worshipped by the Brâhmaṇas Then that pillar is to be bathed with all medicinal plants by the Brahmans wearing white clothes and versed in the Vedas Then that pillar is to be fixed by the artisans after putting round it clothes and ornaments, when the vedas are chanted and the auspicious musical instruments are sounded next the Brâhmaṇas are to be fed Lastly Homa ceremony is to be performed with ghee and honey with the mantra "vastospate Pratijânîhi etc " after the Brâhmaṇas are feasted with Pâyasânna The fixing of the pillars the laying out of threads placing a pillar at the entrance gate and doing the ceremonies and worships above mentioned at the time of entering the house are to be performed—3 10

256.5

apasavyo vināśāya dakṣiṇe śīrṣakastathā.
sarvakāmaphalo nṝṇāṃ sampūrṇo nāma vāmataḥ .. 256.4

256.6

evaṃ pradeśamālokya yatnena gṛhamārabhet.
atha sāṃvatsare prokte muhūrte śubhalakṣaṇe .. 256.5

256.7

ratnopari śilāṃ kṛtvā sarvabījasamanvitām.
caturbhibrāhmaṇaiḥ stambhaṃ kārayitvā supūjitam .. 256.6

256.8

śuklāmbaradharaḥ śilpi sahito vedapāragaiḥ.
snāpitaṃ vinyasettadvat sarvauṣadhisamanvitam .. 256.7

256.9

nānākṣatasamopetaṃ vastrālaṅkārasaṃyutam.
brahmaghoṣeṇa vādyena gītamaṅgalaniḥkhanaiḥ .. 256.8
pāyasaṃ bhojayedviprān homantu madhusarpiṣā.
vāstoṣpate pratijānīhi mantreṇānena sarvadā .. 256.9

256.10

sūtrapāte tathā kāryyamevaṃ stambhodaye punaḥ.
dvāravaṃśocchraye tadvat praveśasamaye tathā .. 256.10

256.11

vāstūpaśamane tadvat vāstuyajñastu pañcadhā.
īśāne sūtrapātaḥ syādāgneye stambharopaṇam .. 256.11

If there be any defect, then to make up for the deficiency the Vâstu Deva should be appeased by performing five fold Vâstujajna a string should be drawn in the N E pillar is to be then fixed in S E, the house should be circumbulated, and foot prints of Vastu should be written by the forefinger, thumb, middle finger with young shoot gems and gold waters This is the best—11-13

256.12

pradakṣiṇañca kurvīta vāstoḥ padavilekhanam.
tarjanī madhyamā caiva tathāṅguṣṭhastu dakṣiṇe .. 256.12

256.13

pravālaratnakanaka phalaṃ piṣṭvā kṛtodakam.
sarvavāstuvibhāgeṣu śastaṃ padavilepane .. 256.13

256.14

na bhasmāṅgāra kāṣṭhena nakhaśastreṇa carmabhiḥ.
na śrṛṅgāsthikapālaiśca kvacidvāstu vilekhayet .. 256.14

Vâstu should never be designed by nails, weapons, leather ashes, burnt wood, bones of horns skulls etc It is most inauspicious to do so with these things It brings in grief and calamities At the time of entering the house the artisan is to make these especially things all the auspicious ceremonies laying out of thread and fixing of pillars etc, is to be done—14 15

256.15

ebhirvilikhitaṃ kuryyādduḥkhaśokabhayādikam.
yadā gṛhapraveśaḥ syācchilpī tatrāpi lakṣayet .. 256.15

256.16

stambhasūtrādikaṃ tadvacchubhāśubhaphalapradam.
ādityābhimukhaṃ rauti śakuniḥ puruṣaṃ yadi .. 256.16

When an evil omen occurs eg a vulture shrieks, facing the sun or it touches some part of the body of the owner, it is to be understood that on the corresponding portion of Vâstu underneath it there is the bone of an elephant or of a terrible carnivorous animal, indicating danger—16-18.

256.17

tulyakālaṃ spṛśedaṅgaṃ gṛhabharturyadātmanaḥ .
vāstvaṅge tadvijānīyānnaraśalyaṃ bhayapradam .. 256.17

256.18

aṅkanānantaraṃ yatra hastyaśva śvāpadaṃ bhavet.
tadaṅgasambhavaṃ vindyāttatra śalyaṃ vicakṣaṇaḥ .. 256.18

256.19

prasāryamāṇe sūtre tu śvā gomāyurvilaṅghite.
tattu śalyaṃ vijānīyāt kharaśabdeti bhairave .. 256.19

If a dog or a jackal jumps over the thread spread out or an ass starts braying hoarsely when the line is stretched, it shows that there is some salya or foreign matter underneath and great misfortune in store for the owner If a crow be crowing not harshly in the N E corner it shows that treasure is buried there at one of the four corners If that string is cut it means the death of the owner and if the nail is curved downwards it shows that illness is in store for the owner If at the time of digging the ground coals come out, it means the owner is to run mad and if skull comes out the owner is to get confused.—19-21

256.20

yadīśāne tu digbhāge madhuraṃ rauti vāyasaḥ.
dhanaṃ tatra vijānīyād bhāge vā svāmyadhiṣṭhite .. 256.20

256.21

sūtracchede bhavet mṛtyurvyādhiḥ kīle tvadhomukhe.
aṅgāreṣu tathonmādaṃ kapāleṣu ca sambhramam .. 256.21

256.22

kambuśalyeṣu jānīyāt pauṃścalyaṃ strīṣu vāstuvit.
gṛhabharturgṛhasyāpi vināśaḥ śilpisambhrame .. 256.22

If a conch is unearthed the lady of the house is to turn loose and the confusion of the artisans indicates the end of the owner or of the house itself.—22

256.23

stambhe skandhacyute kumbhe śirorogaṃ vinirdiśet.
kumbhāpahāre sarvasya kulasyāpi kṣayo bhavet .. 256.23

If the pillar or the pitcher falls down the owner gets some disease in the head and if the jar be stlon the family of the owner is perished The breaking of the vase of water means the death of the artisan and if the computation on the fingers goes wrong it means the death of the owner.—23-24

256.24

mṛtyuḥ sthānacyute kumbhe bhagne bandhaṃ vidurbudhāḥ.
karasaṅkhyā vināśe tu nāśaṃ gṛhapaterviduḥ .. 256.24

256.25

vijauṣadhi vihīne tu bhūtebhyo bhayamādiśet.
tataḥ pradakṣiṇenānyān nyasetstambhānvicakṣaṇaḥ .. 256.25

There is a fear of evil spirits in the house in which seeds and medicinal plants are destroyed The pillars should be circumambualated from right to left otherwise there is a fear of misfortunes The prescribed propitiatory rites should be performed to drive away the ills arising from fixing up the pillars wrongly and not circumambulating it.—25-26

256.26

yasmād bhayakaraṃ nṝṇāṃ yojitāhyapradakṣiṇam.
rakṣāṃ kurvīta yatnena stambopadravanāśinīm .. 256.26

256.27

tathā phalavatīṃ śākhāṃ stambhopari niveśayet.
prāgudakpravaṇaṃ kuryyāddiṅmūḍhantu na kārayet .. 256.27

The ceremony "Prâkudakravan' is to be performed with regard to the pillar, but one should be careful not to make error as to direction, on the top of the pillar is to be placed a young twig with fruits attached to it If there are confusions and errors as to the directions with reference to pillar houses rooms or doors or dwelling room, it means the extinction of the family.—27-28

256.28

stambhaṃ vā bhavanaṃ vāpi dvāraṃ vāsagṛhaṃ tathā.
diṅmūḍhe kulanāśaḥ syānna ca saṃvarddhayet gṛham .. 256.28

Such a flaw should be carefully avoided in fixing up the pillars making the doorways and also in the dwelling places for if it is allowed to remain in them, it means the destruction of the household The house should not be extended in one direction only If extension is to be made, it should be made uniformly and symmetrically in all directions If it is to be extended towards the east it creates enmity.—28-29

256.29

yadi saṃvarddhayed gehaṃ sarvadikṣu vivarddhayet.
pūrveṇa varddhitaṃ vāstu kuryādvairāṇi sarvadā.. 256.29

256.30

dakṣiṇe varddhitaṃ vāstu mṛtyave syānna saṃśayaḥ.
paścādvivṛddhaṃ yadvāstu tadarthakṣayakāraka .. 256.30

If it is go to the south it means death, if to the west it means the loss of wealth if it is to the north it means misery, if to S E it means the danger from fire.—30-32

256.31

varddhāpitaṃ tathā saumye bahusantāpakārakam.
ānneye yatra vṛddhiḥ syāt tadagnibhayadaṃ bhavet .. 256.31

256.32

varddhitaṃ rākṣase koṇe śiśukṣayakaraṃ bhavet.
baddhvāpi tantu vāyavye vātavyādhi-prakopakṛt .. 256.32

If it is to S-W it means the loss of children, if it towards the N W it means maladies and gout, if it is so to the N E it means the loss of grain. In the north east corner of the house the place of worship should be made as well as the sôuti grihas kitchen should be made In the S E corner, close to the north should be made the water godown and the general godown of the household should be S-W.—33-34

256.33

īśānyāṃ annahāniḥ syāt vāstau saṃvarddhite sadā.
īśāne devatāgāraṃ tathā śāntigṛhaṃ bhavet .. 256.33

256.34

mahānasantathāgneye tatpārśvecottare jalam.
gṛhasyopaskaraṃ sarvaṃ naiṛtye sthāpayed budhaḥ .. 256.34

256.35

vadhasthānaṃ bahiḥ kuryāt snānamaṇḍapameva ca.
dhanadhānyañca vāyavye karmaśālāntato bahiḥ ..
evaṃ vāstu viśeṣaḥ syāt gṛhabhartuḥ śubhāvahaḥ .. 256.35

Bathing place and Badhasthan (place of killing) should be made outside the house granary should be made in the N W corner and the office is to be located outside Such a house is lucky to the owner.—35