What it does
Shows exactly which devta sits at which angle of the plot so its energy can be used and treated.
Where
Outer pishach bhoomi (32 pads), middle dev-manushya bhoomi (12 pads), brahmasthan (Brahma)
Samagri used
Cautions
Explanation and notes
Example pads: Shikhi (E1) 39.375 to 50.625 degrees and Parjanya (E2) 50.625 to 61.875 degrees from North. In the middle ring each direction has 18 + 54 + 18 = 90 degrees, completed by three devtas.
Shikhi, also called Shiva, is the first outer devta of the pishach bhoomi, at E1 near the North-East corner. A mahayogi and a highly sensitive maha-dowser, its pad reacts at once to anything done there; it governs vision, foresight and decisions.
Parjanya, the cloud and rain devta (megh, badal) at E2 next to Shikhi, brings rain, productivity and fertility and fulfils plans and wishes like a kalpavriksha. It is the doctor of crops, people and animals.
A quick manual method to divide any plan into the concentric bhoomis of the 81-pada grid by multiplying the centre-to-corner distance by 0.33, 0.55 and 0.77.
During Shiva's battle with Andhakasura a drop of his sweat produced a starving mahabhoot; devas and asuras laid him face down and 45 devtas sat on him, creating 45 places with separate functions on every plot. Brahma made him his manas putra and promised that whoever occupies land would remember and feed him.
Both grids hold the same 45 vastu devtas, but the 81-pada mandala is used for homes and business premises while the 64-pada mandala is used for temples, villages, palaces (raj mandir), towns and city gates.
The biggest pooja, havan and sthapana of the 45 devtas should be done at garbh vinyas or shilanyas, while the devtas are on open ground and can receive their samagri at their own pads; the building is then raised over them.
In earlier times, after garbh vinyas and the plinth beam, builders left the work for a season of about three months so that the sun, moon, 27 nakshatras and 9 planets could fully act on the newly acquired and worshipped land.
Each of the 32 outer devtas holds a 45-minute period of sadhana, so together they complete the 24 hours. Havan, offerings and jaap done in a devta's own period wake and activate it quickly.