Vastu - The fundamentals

Vaastushastra is an ancient Vedic Science which helps one to get the natural benefits freely offered by five basic elements of Universe. It can be applied by keeping in harmony with these basic five elements of nature namely Fire (Agni), Earth (Bhoomi), Air (Vaayu), Water (Jal), Sky (Aakash). Vaastushastra contains the study of Astrology, Astronomy, Geography, Metrology and many such Vedic Sciences. Application of Vaastushastra vary from place to place due to latitude or sun , distribution of land and water , pressure belts of wind , altitudes , mountain barriers, ocean waves , storms of various kind etc.


Our sages and seers knew the secrets of using all the five elements of Universe and their special characteristics and influences such as magnetic field, gravitational force, metrology and also all planetary forces of earth, the galaxy in the sky, the directions and velocity of the winds, light and heat of Sun. It included the effects of the ultraviolet and infrared rays of the sun, the volume and intensity of rainfall etc. This worked for the advantage of the mankind in suitably planning and constructing buildings for dwelling, prayer, education, entertainment, working, production and other purposes. They evolved scientific methods and systems over the years as Vaastushastra. Our sages searched it, we are only researching it.

(Aryabhatta propounded the theory of Heliocentric Universe a century before Copernicus and Bhaskaracharya mentioned about the gravity of earth, 1200 years before Newton.)

Shanku Sthapna

Before constructing a building, a gnome called Shanku has to be installed in the middle portion or the BrahmaSthana of the plinth area, as per Vaasthu Shastra. This is done after performing the Bhoomi Poojan.

Shanku is a piece of wood which is normally nine inches long or equal to the length of one stretched palm distance from the thumb to the little finger, which generally works out to nine inches.

This piece of wood has to be shaped geometrically. The one-third portion at the bottom will be round in shape with its diameter being two inches, the middle portion will be in the shape of a rectangle with horizontal lines measuring two inches and the top portion is octagonal in shape as shown in the sketch. The top octagonal portion symbolically represents the eight directional lords called as Ashta Dik Palakas, the middle portion is termed as Brahma and the bottom portion as Shiva. The establishment of this wood at the BrahmaSthana is said to be auspicious. It guards the owner or inmates of the house from the troubles caused by the eight directional lords.

The Shanku is usually made out of a specific type of wood. Vaasthu Shastra specifies that Shanku should be made out of wood such as teak, rose, red sandalwood, that too from an aged tree and not from a tender tree.

It is also said that the wood selected for making Shanku should not have any knots. Wood such as Banyan, Neem, Peepal, Mango, Palm and Babool are not suitable for constructing a house and hence are unsuitable for making Shanku also.

The fixing of Shanku, called as Shanku Sthapana, should be done on an auspicious day as per the dictums of astrology.

The Shanku should be placed in the BrahmaSthana of the plinth area of the building by noting down the exact centre of the building through intersection of the diagonal lines of the plot by digging this central portion to 1' x 1' x 1' for small built area in a site of 30'x40' to 60'x40'. You may dig 2'x1'x1' for bigger sites of 50'x80' and go deeper as the size of the built area increases. Upper floors are not considered for the purposes of Shanku Sthapana.

Unfortunately, Shanku Sthapana is mistaken to be unveiling of stones wherein the names of important personalities are carved at the time of inauguration of the building.