The Vāstu-puruṣa Maṇḍala: Grid, Centre and Vital Points
The story of the Vāstu-puruṣa, the 81- and 64-square grids, the forty-five deities, the Brahmasthāna and the marmas to be kept unburdened.
Vastu Purusha Mandala
The Vāstu-puruṣa maṇḍala is the square grid on which every Vāstu plan is drawn. Bṛhat Saṃhitā tells how a vast being who blocked heaven and earth was pressed face down by the gods, each god staying where he held it. Brahmā sits at the centre, and the grid’s crossings, the marmas, are kept free of heavy loads.
Direct answers to common questions
What is the Vastu Purusha?
The Vastu Purusha is the cosmic being who lies face down on every building site. Bṛhat Saṃhitā tells how he once blocked heaven and earth, was pressed down by the gods, and was made by Brahmā into the presiding being of the site. His head lies in the north-east and his feet in the south-west.
What is the Vastu Purusha mandala?
The Vastu Purusha mandala is the square grid drawn over a site or plan, divided into 81 or 64 squares called padas. Forty-five deities are assigned to these squares, with Brahmā at the centre. Every Vāstu reading of rooms, doors and loads starts from this grid aligned to true north.
What is the Brahmasthan in Vastu?
The Brahmasthan is the central zone of the Vāstu grid, ruled by Brahmā: nine squares in the 81-square plan and four in the 64-square plan. It is kept open, light and free of heavy walls or pillars. In traditional houses it is the courtyard; in modern homes, a clear central space.
What are marma points in Vastu?
Marma points in Vastu are the vital points of the Vāstu-puruṣa: the places where the grid lines cross and the exact middles of the squares. Varāhamihira says the wise should know them and not burden them, so heavy pillars, walls and deep pits are kept away from these points.
Still have a question about Vastu Purusha Mandala? Ask in your own words; a teacher of the Peeth replies.
What the Shastra says
किमपि किल भूतमभवद्रुन्धानं रोदसी शरीरेण । तदमरगणेन सहसा विनिगृह्याधोमुखं न्यस्तम् ॥
kim api kila bhūtam abhavad rundhānaṃ rodasī śarīreṇa | tad amaragaṇena sahasā vinigṛhyādhomukhaṃ nyastam ||
Meaning: Once there arose a certain being that blocked heaven and earth with its body; the host of gods seized it at once and laid it face downward.
— Bṛhat Saṃhitā 53.2 (GRETIL 52.2) · Sanskrit text: Varāhamihira, Bṛhat Saṃhitā, ch. Vāstuvidyā — GRETIL e-text (Göttingen; numbered ch. 52 there, ch. 53 in the Jhā edition used by the Peeth’s Vāstu doctrine)
The myth begins with a being that filled the space between earth and sky. Building is pictured as giving form and order to that unformed power.
यत्र च येन गृहीतं विबुधेनाधिष्ठितः स तत्रैव । तदमरमयं विधाता वास्तुनरं कल्पयामास ॥
yatra ca yena gṛhītaṃ vibudhenādhiṣṭhitaḥ sa tatraiva | tad amaramayaṃ vidhātā vāstunaraṃ kalpayām āsa ||
Meaning: Each god stayed seated on the part he had seized; and the Creator made that being, formed of the gods, into the Vāstu-puruṣa.
— Bṛhat Saṃhitā 53.3 (GRETIL 52.3) · Sanskrit text: Varāhamihira, Bṛhat Saṃhitā, ch. Vāstuvidyā — GRETIL e-text (Göttingen; numbered ch. 52 there, ch. 53 in the Jhā edition used by the Peeth’s Vāstu doctrine)
Each god stays where he held the being, and Brahmā names it Vāstu-puruṣa. This is the origin of the pada deities that a plan is read through.
अष्टाष्टकपदमथ वा कृत्वा रेखाश्च कोणगास्तिर्यक् । ब्रह्मा चतुष्पदोऽस्मिन्नर्धपदा ब्रह्मकोणस्थाः ॥
aṣṭāṣṭakapadam atha vā kṛtvā rekhāś ca koṇagās tiryak | brahmā catuṣpado 'sminn ardhapadā brahmakoṇasthāḥ ||
Meaning: Or the site is divided into eight by eight squares with diagonal lines drawn; in this plan Brahmā holds four squares, and the deities at Brahmā’s corners hold half-squares.
— Bṛhat Saṃhitā 53.55 (GRETIL 52.55) · Sanskrit text: Varāhamihira, Bṛhat Saṃhitā, ch. Vāstuvidyā — GRETIL e-text (Göttingen; numbered ch. 52 there, ch. 53 in the Jhā edition used by the Peeth’s Vāstu doctrine)
The 64-square plan: Brahmā holds four squares and his corner deities half-squares. The same text also gives the 81-square plan.
सम्पाता वंशानां मध्यानि समानि यानि च पदानाम् । मर्माणि तानि विन्द्यान्न तानि परिपीडयेत्प्राज्ञः ॥
sampātā vaṃśānāṃ madhyāni samāni yāni ca padānām | marmāṇi tāni vindyān na tāni paripīḍayet prājñaḥ ||
Meaning: The crossing points of the lines and the exact middles of the squares are the marmas, the vital points; the wise should know them and not burden them.
— Bṛhat Saṃhitā 53.57 (GRETIL 52.57) · Sanskrit text: Varāhamihira, Bṛhat Saṃhitā, ch. Vāstuvidyā — GRETIL e-text (Göttingen; numbered ch. 52 there, ch. 53 in the Jhā edition used by the Peeth’s Vāstu doctrine)
The marmas are defined exactly: line crossings and square midpoints. The instruction is restraint — know them and do not burden them.
The story of the Vāstu-puruṣa
A being arose whose body filled the space between heaven and earth. The gods seized it together and laid it face downward; each remained on the part he had grasped, and Brahmā made this god-filled being the Vāstu-puruṣa. Every building rests on him.
Two grids: 81 and 64 squares
The site is divided either into nine by nine squares (81 padas) or eight by eight (64). In the 81-square plan Brahmā holds nine squares at the centre; in the 64-square plan he holds four. The Peeth’s doctrine verifies the 81-square allocation in full.
The forty-five deities
Thirty-two deities line the outer ring, twelve stand around the centre and Brahmā rules the heart. Aryaman holds the east of the centre, Vivasvān the south, Mitra the west and Pṛthvīdhara the north, among others.
Brahmasthāna, the open centre
The central squares, the Brahmasthāna, are kept open, light and uncluttered. In traditional houses this is the courtyard. Even in a small flat the idea survives as a clear, calm middle of the home.
Marmas: points not to burden
Varāhamihira calls the crossing points of the grid lines and the middles of the squares marmas, the vital points of the Vāstu-puruṣa. Heavy pillars, walls or deep pits are not placed on them, just as one would not press on a vital point of the body.
Where modern science meets this teaching
Research has not tested Vāstu’s directional rules directly. What studies do show is that some things Vāstu cares about affect people: daylight, a view of trees and greenery, and orderly, well-ventilated rooms. The Peeth therefore presents Vāstu as a traditional science of space whose practical core — light, air, proportion and calm — is sensible on its own terms, without claiming that research proves the deities of the grid.
- Ulrich RS, Science 1984 — view through a window and recovery from surgery. Twenty-three surgical patients whose rooms looked onto trees had shorter hospital stays and needed fewer strong painkillers than 23 matched patients facing a brick wall. Limit: A small, older record study in one hospital; it shows that a natural view can matter, not that any Vāstu rule is proven.
- Boubekri M et al., Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine 2014 — windows, daylight and sleep in office workers. Workers with windows and more daylight slept longer and reported better sleep quality and vitality than workers in windowless spaces (49 people). Limit: A small case-control pilot; it supports daylight in buildings, not directional rules as such.
How this connects to Swara Yoga
The Vāstu-puruṣa lies on the earth with an open centre, as the yogī sits with a free central channel. Swara practice aims at the balanced, central breath; Vāstu aims at a balanced, open centre in the house.
Using Vāstu wisely
Vāstu is guidance for orientation, proportion and the right use of space. It works together with a structural engineer, an architect and building regulations, which keep a building safe. No one should be frightened into demolition or into buying objects; if someone predicts disaster and demands money to prevent it, step back and ask someone you trust.
The Peeth reads a building as a place for steady life and practice, improved first by light, order, cleanliness and intention.
What is the right next step for you?
A Vāstu reading suits anyone planning land, a new building or a move, or wanting an existing home or workplace looked at calmly, online or on site. It is not a structural survey or legal check, and it never asks you to demolish or buy objects out of fear.
Read next: Vastu Directions
Swami Charanashrit Giri · Swara Yoga Peeth, Rishikesh
Frequently asked questions
Which grid is used, 81 or 64 squares?
Both are classical. The 81-square Paramaśāyika plan is generally used for houses and the 64-square Maṇḍūka plan for temples, though usage varies between texts and regions. The Peeth’s verified doctrine completes the 81-square allocation of deities exactly; the 64-square allocation differs between sources and is used with care.
How many deities are in the Vastu mandala?
There are forty-five: thirty-two in the outer ring, twelve around the centre and Brahmā in the middle. Bṛhat Saṃhitā names them and their squares. Some texts add four goddesses outside the corners, such as Carakī and Pūtanā, who are not part of the forty-five.
Why does the Vastu Purusha lie face down?
In the story the gods pressed him down face first to hold him in place. Face down, his head lies in the north-east and his limbs stretch towards the south-west. This posture fixes which deity rules each part of the plan and why the north-east is treated with special care.
Can I put a pillar in the centre of the house?
Traditional Vāstu advises against heavy pillars, beams or walls in the Brahmasthāna and on the marma points. Where a structure already has a central column, consult an engineer before any change; the Vāstu response is usually to keep the area around it light, clean and uncluttered rather than to remove it.
Is the mandala drawn on the plot or the building?
It can be drawn on either. For a new house it is first drawn on the plot; for an existing home or flat it is drawn over the built plan. The Peeth’s Eternal Vāstu tool fits the grid to an irregular outline and shows where corners are cut or extended.
How does Swara Yoga relate to the mandala?
The mandala has an open centre ruled by Brahmā; the yogī’s body has a central channel, suṣumnā, between the lunar and solar flows. Swara practice seeks the balanced central breath. Keeping the centre of the home clear is a daily reminder of that inner aim.
Sources
- Varāhamihira, Bṛhat Saṃhitā, Vāstuvidyā chapter — GRETIL e-text.
- The Peeth’s Vāstu doctrine and site tools: Eternal Vāstu on astro.swarayoga.org.
- Bṛhat Saṃhitā 53.2 (GRETIL 52.2) — Varāhamihira, Bṛhat Saṃhitā, ch. Vāstuvidyā — GRETIL e-text (Göttingen; numbered ch. 52 there, ch. 53 in the Jhā edition used by the Peeth’s Vāstu doctrine).
- Bṛhat Saṃhitā 53.3 (GRETIL 52.3) — Varāhamihira, Bṛhat Saṃhitā, ch. Vāstuvidyā — GRETIL e-text (Göttingen; numbered ch. 52 there, ch. 53 in the Jhā edition used by the Peeth’s Vāstu doctrine).
- Bṛhat Saṃhitā 53.55 (GRETIL 52.55) — Varāhamihira, Bṛhat Saṃhitā, ch. Vāstuvidyā — GRETIL e-text (Göttingen; numbered ch. 52 there, ch. 53 in the Jhā edition used by the Peeth’s Vāstu doctrine).
- Bṛhat Saṃhitā 53.57 (GRETIL 52.57) — Varāhamihira, Bṛhat Saṃhitā, ch. Vāstuvidyā — GRETIL e-text (Göttingen; numbered ch. 52 there, ch. 53 in the Jhā edition used by the Peeth’s Vāstu doctrine).
- Ulrich RS, Science 1984 — view through a window and recovery from surgery.
- Boubekri M et al., Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine 2014 — windows, daylight and sleep in office workers.
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Taught in the lineage of Swami Charanashrit Giri · Swara Yoga Peeth Sansthan, Swargashram, Rishikesh · This page awaits Swamiji’s review · Practice is prescribed for each person, according to their condition.
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