Terminologies
Vastu-Mandala
Sr. No.
Term in Devanagari
Term in Roman
Meaning
Description
1
पद
Pada
Cells/ units
These are individual cells/ units in padavinyasa where each cell is occupied by a particular deity. Pada is also called 'guna'.
2
पददेवताः
Pada devatah
Deities presiding the cells/ units
These are different deities that occupy cells of Vastumandala in different directions. The directions associated with a particular deity is more or less consistent in different types of padavinyasa grids. A cell can be occupied by two deities as well as one deity can occupy multiple cells.
3
चतुःषष्टिपदवास्तुमंडलं
Chatu-shashtipada vastumandalam
Vastu grid having 64 cells
Used for residential architecture, this is a grid of 8x8 cells in Vastu mandala (pada-vinyasa) having 64 cells in total.
4
एकाशीतिपदवास्तुमंडलं
Ekashitipada vastumandalam
Vastu grid having 81 cells
This is a grid of 9x9 cells in Vastu mandala having 81 cells in total. It is used for yagnas.
5
शतपदवास्तुमंडलं
Shatapada vastumandalam
Vastu grid having 100 cells
This is a grid of 10x10 cells in Vastu mandala. having 100 cells in total. It is used for temples.
6
क्षेत्र
Kshetra
Field/ site
The word is used in different contexts. In Vastu Shastra, it also means the extent of area that is defined and protected by the deities.
7
द्विपदाधीश/ मृद्
Dvi-padadhisha
Lord of two units
8 deities occupy 2 units each in 9x9 grid of padavinyasa. These are Bhrisha, Jayanta, Vitatha, Bhringa, Sugriva, Sosha, Mukhya, and Aditi.
8
द्विरष्टीगुणित
Dvirashtigunita
16 units
In 10x10 pada vinyasa, Brahma occupies 16 units at the centre of the Vastumandala.
9
सुरोत्तमाः
Surottamaha
Chief of the gods
Indra is chief of the gods and usually occupies a cell on the Eastern periphery of pada vinyasa.
10
पितामहः
Pitamaha
Grandfather, Brahma
In the context of Vastu Shastra, the word means Brahma who occupies the central grids in any type of Vastu mandala.
The words given above appear in the 11th chapter of Samarangana Sutradhara. The chapter deals with three different layouts of Vastu mandala. Vastu mandala referes to a square grid made using different number of individual units (8x8, 9x9, 10x10) where each unit is occupied by a certain deity and. This is also referred to as 'Pada Vinyasa' or 'Vastu Purusha Mandala'. This grid is used in zoning for town planning, residential and temple architecture alike.