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Narada Purana (Jyotisha Selections) · Chapter 9
वास्तु गृहप्रवेशश्च
This chapter gives the griha pravesh muhurta and the rules for the house. It begins with setting up the gods at a good time.
Then it shows how to test a plot by its soil. The ground is divided into squares and the doors are placed. It tells how the peg is fixed and which trees give the wood. Then come the roofs and the halls. It ends with the best months, weekdays and rising signs for moving in.
The English below is our translation from the Sanskrit.
ये कंटका दुग्धवृक्षा वृक्षाश्वत्थकपित्थकाः ।अगस्तिसिंधुवालाख्यतिंतिडीकाश्च निंदिताः ॥ ५९१ ॥
Also condemned are thorny trees and milk-sap trees, the peepal and the wood apple, agasti, sindhuvara and tamarind.
Simple meaning: Thorny trees, milk-sap trees, peepal, wood apple and tamarind are to be avoided.
पित्तवाग्रजदेहस्यात्पश्चिमे दक्षिणे तया ।गृहपादागृहस्तंभाः समाः शस्ताश्च नासमाः ॥ ५९२ ॥
Posts and pillars of the house are praised when even in number, not odd. (Our text is unclear here: the first half of the verse, which names the west and the south.)
Simple meaning: Houses should have an even number of posts and pillars.
नात्युच्छ्रितं नातिनीचं कुड्योत्सेधं यथारुचि ।गृहोपरि गृहादीनामेवं सर्वत्र चिंतयेत् ॥ ५९३ ॥
Not too tall and not too low. Make the wall height as one likes. For a house above a house, and the rest, think the same way everywhere.
Simple meaning: Make walls neither too tall nor too low. Use the same thinking for upper floors.
गृहादीनां गृहश्रावं क्रमशोऽष्टविधं स्मृतम् ।पांचालमानं वैदेहं कौरवं च कुजन्यकम् ॥ ५९४ ॥
The roof slope of houses and the like is remembered as of eight kinds, in order. They are the Panchala measure, the Videha, the Kaurava and the Kujanyaka.
Simple meaning: Roof slopes come in eight kinds, named after lands. Four are named here.
मागधं शूरसेनं च गांधारावतिका स्मृतम् ।सचतुर्भागविस्तारमुत्सेधं यत्तदुच्यते ॥ ५९५ ॥
Then the Magadha, the Shurasena, the Gandhara and the Avantika are remembered. The rise that goes with a quarter of the breadth is called that [first, the Panchala].
Simple meaning: The other four measures are named. The first has a rise of a quarter of the breadth.
पांचालमातुलानां च ह्युत्तरोत्तरवृद्धितः ।वैदेहादीन्यशेषाणि मानानि स्युर्यथाक्रमम् ॥ ५९६ ॥
From the Panchala on, each next one rises more than the one before. So the Videha and all the other measures follow in order.
Simple meaning: Each roof measure rises higher than the one before it.
पांचालमानं सर्वेषां साधारणमतः परम् ।अवंतिमानं विप्राणां गांधारं क्षत्रियस्य च ॥ ५९७ ॥
The Panchala measure is common to all. After that, the Avanti measure is for Brahmins and the Gandhara for Kshatriyas.
Simple meaning: Panchala is for all. Avanti is for Brahmins and Gandhara for Kshatriyas.
कौजन्यमानं वैश्यानां विप्रादीनां यथोत्तरम् ।यथोदितं जलस्राव्यं द्वित्रिभूमिकवेश्मनाम् ॥ ५९८ ॥
The Kaujanya measure is for Vaishyas. For the Brahmin and the rest, the next one up in order. Make the water run-off as told for houses of two or three floors.
Simple meaning: Kaujanya is for Vaishyas. Houses of two or three floors take the roof slope as told.
उष्ट्रकुंजरशालानां ध्वजायेप्यथ वा गजे ।पशुशालाश्च शालानां ध्वजायेप्यथ वा गजे ॥ ५९९ ॥
For halls of camels and elephants, use the Dhvaja (banner) point or the Gaja (elephant) point. The same for cattle sheds.
Simple meaning: For elephant, camel and cattle halls, use the banner or elephant point.
माघफाल्गुनवैशाखज्येष्ठमासेषु शोभनम् ।प्रवेशो मध्यमो ज्ञेयः सौम्यकार्तिकमासयोः ॥ ७१४ ॥
Entering a new house is good in the months of Magha, Phalguna, Vaishakha and Jyeshtha. It is middling in Saumya and Kartika.
Simple meaning: Moving in is good in Magha, Phalguna, Vaishakha and Jyeshtha, and middling in Margashirsha and Kartika.
शशीज्यांतेषु वरुणत्वाष्ट्रमित्रस्थिरोडुषु ।शुभः प्रवेशो देवेज्यशुक्रयोर्दृश्यमानयोः ॥ ७१५ ॥
Entry is good in these nakshatras (stars): Mrigashira, Pushya, Revati, Shatabhisha, Chitra, Anuradha and the fixed ones. Jupiter and Venus must both be visible.
Simple meaning: Enter under Mrigashira, Pushya, Revati, Shatabhisha, Chitra, Anuradha or a fixed star, with Jupiter and Venus visible.
व्यर्कारवारे तिथिषु रिक्तामावर्जितेषु च ।दिवा वा यदि वा रात्रौ प्रवेशो मगलप्रदः ॥ ७१६ ॥
Pick a weekday other than Sunday or Tuesday. Pick tithis (moon days) other than the rikta (empty tithi) ones and the new moon. Then entering is good, by day or by night.
Simple meaning: Move in on any day but Sunday or Tuesday, and avoid empty days and the new moon.
चंद्रताराबलोपेते पूर्वाह्णे शोभने दिने ।स्थिरलग्ने स्थिरांशे च नैधने शुद्धिसंयुते ॥ ७१७ ॥
Take a good day, in the forenoon. The Moon and the tara (star count from the birth nakshatra) must be strong. Use a fixed lagna (rising sign) and a fixed navamsha (one-ninth part of a sign). The 8th house must be clean.
Simple meaning: Move in on a good morning, with the Moon and star strong, a fixed rising sign and a clean 8th house.
कर्तुर्वा जन्मभ लग्ने ताभ्यामुपचयेऽपि वा ।प्रवेशलग्ने स्याद्वृद्धिरन्यभेशोकनिःस्वता ॥ ७१९ ॥
Let the entry lagna (rising sign) be the doer's birth sign or birth lagna. Or let it be an upachaya (growth house) from those two. Then the house grows. In any other sign, sorrow and poverty may come.
Simple meaning: Enter when the rising sign is the doer's birth sign, birth rising sign or a growth house from them.
It teaches the time for setting up the gods, how to read a plot, and when to move into a new house.
Verse 9.70 says moving in is good in Magha, Phalguna, Vaishakha and Jyeshtha.
Verse 9.72 says to pick a weekday other than Sunday or Tuesday.