(v) Vāstu literature (Introduction)

Incidently some remarks are now needed to deal with the Vāstu literature and tabulate their names and contents only as a detailed review and the presentation there of, of the Principal or the most representative texts have been reserved for the subsequent chapter.

This Vāstu literature may be conveniently classified into as many as the following classes of literature:

1. Vedic literature—Saṃhitās, Brāhmaṇas and Sūtras,
2. Epic literature,
3. Buddhist literature—Jātakas and Pāli canons,
4. Arthaśāstra,
5. Purāṇas,
6. Āgamas,
7. Tantras,
8. Bṛhatsaṃhitā,
9. Pratiṣṭhā works,
10. Miscellaneous works and
11. Śilpa works.

Dr. Acharya divides this whole Vāṅmaya, into only two broad sub-divisions, the architectural proper and non-architectural adjuncts, in the latter will fall all the lore that is expounded in Purāṇas, Āgamas, Tantras and the Praliṣṭhā works etc. For the convenience however, this seems to be more systematic and workable as most of the Purāṇas like Viṣṇudharmottaram [Viṣṇudharmottara] almost exclusively deal with Vāstuśāstra (in its broadest connotation the Vāstu, the Śilpa and the Chitra [Citra]). Similarly Āgamas like Kāmika devotes almost all its main Paṭalas to the exposition of the Vāstu as we presently see. Incidently it may be remarked that miscellaneous works like Epics, Jātakas and classical Sanskrit works like Bāṇa’s Kādambarī do not deal (and cannot be expected to deal) with any set of principles of the science, rather they embody artistic culture and the current traditions behind them which give an idea of the condition of the art and its science. Hence these works are also helpful in our study of this subject.