When preparing the sacred ground for a dwelling, one must begin by erecting pillars in the corners and stretching eight cords out to the diagonal points, thus marking the space. In these corners, offerings and worship should be made to the beings who walk on two feet and those who move upon six, each according to the proper rites. As the layout of the site is established, the Vāstu-purusha is to be remembered: a mighty being, hair tied up, lying prone in the form of a demon, his face turned northward. During the worship and the marking out of walls and structures, one should keep this image in mind. His knees and elbows are aligned with the directions ruled by Vāyu and Agni; his feet rest in the ancestral direction, his head points toward the fierce quarter, and at his heart, his hands are joined in reverence. Upon the body of this Vāstu-purusha, auspicious deities who have been worshipped are established; the eight lords of the directions take their places at the eight half-corners. In the ordered directions, starting from the east, reside the six-footed deities beginning with Marīci, while Brahmā, the four-footed one, is established at the center. The remaining deities are known as the one-footed. At the spot where all the subtle channels converge lies the great vital point, a place of potent energy and fulfillment. Here, the trident, the svastika, the thunderbolt, and the great svastika with its protective enclosure are present. Along with these, the three-peaked point, the wrist-joint, and the perfectly pure spot are among the twelve vital points on the site, which should be carefully avoided when constructing walls and other features. Worship is then conducted through specific offerings: clarified butter mixed with unbroken rice is given to Īśa; lotus water is offered to Parjanya; and a radiant saffron flag is presented to Jayanta. Gem-infused water is offered to Mahendra; a grey canopy to the Sun; and to Satya and Bhṛśa, clarified butter, wheat, and rice-cakes. For Antarikṣa, uncooked meat is the offering; to Śakti, a weapon is given; and in the east, a ladle filled with honey, milk, curds, and ghee is offered to Agni. Roasted rice and pure water in a golden vessel are for Vitatha; honey is offered to the guardian of the house; and to Yamarāja, rice cooked with pulses. Fragrant substances are offered to the lord of Gandharvas; the tongue of a bird to Bhringa; lotus leaves to the deer; and thus, offerings are made to the eight deities presiding over the southern direction. For the ancestors, sesame-water, milk, and a twig from a tree for cleaning the teeth are given; to the divine doorkeeper, a cow marked with a seal. Sugrīva is offered cakes; Puṣpadanta, sacred darbha grass; Pracetas, a red lotus; and Asura, spirituous liquor. To Śeṣa, clarified butter and rice with jaggery are offered; to Rogā, cakes of clarified butter, or else roasted rice in the western direction, according to the rites for the eight deities. For Māruta, a yellow banner is offered; for Nāga, nāgakeśara flowers; and for Bhallāṭa, the chief, well-prepared pulse soup and other foods. Soma is honored with milk-rice cooked with ghee, as are Śālūka and Mūṣa. To Lopī, Maditi, and Diti, a city in the northern octant is offered. To Brahman in the east, sweet cakes are given; to Marīci, a six-petaled flower; and to Savitṛ, red flowers placed below the fire in the corner chamber. In the chamber below, sacred grass water is offered to Sāvitrī; on the southern side, red sandalwood is given to Vivasvat, who sits in the six-petaled seat. In the chamber below the Rakṣas corner, Indra receives rice cooked with turmeric; to Indrajaya, below Indra, mixed food is presented. In the seat of Varuṇī, in the six-petaled position, sweetened rice is offered to Mitra; and to Rudra, clarified butter-cooked food at the lower place of the wind corner. Below that, in the place of Rudra’s servant, meat is offered; along the northern path, black gram is given to the earth-holder in the six-petaled seat. Āpa, below the Śiva corner, and Sāya, at that place, are offered curd and milk, each in proper order and with due worship. At the center, where Brahman is established in the four-footed seat, a sacrificial porridge made with the five products of the cow and ghee is offered. In the corners from Īśāna to the end of the wind direction, the four guardians of the dwelling, beginning with Caraka, are worshipped as prescribed. To Carakī, meat with ghee is given; to Vidāryā, curd in a lotus bowl; to Pūtanā, a portion of bile and blood. Pāparākṣasī is offered bones and portions of blood and bile; and in the east, Skanda receives black gram rice. Aryaman in the southern quarter is given cakes mixed with pulse; Jambhaka in the Varuṇa direction receives meat with blood. In the north, Pilipiñja is offered red rice and flowers; or, if one chooses, the entire dwelling may be worshipped with sacred grass, curd, and water. Whether in a house or a city, worship is performed with eighty-one seats: three-footed lines are drawn, and six-petaled seats are formed in the corners. From Īśāna onward, the guardians are stationed at the quarters; Nāga and others occupy two chambers; Marīci and others sit in the six-petaled seats; and Brahmā is known as the nine-seated one. In a city, village, or hamlet, the dwelling may be established with a hundred seats, with two lines of posts in the corners, making it ever strong and unassailable. As in the temple, so too in the hundred-seated dwelling: the planets, Skanda, and others, and the six-petaled seats are to be recognized. Caraka and others hold the elemental seats, with lines and posts as before. When establishing a region, the dwelling is to be set with three hundred and thirty-four seats. Brahma, Marici, and other deities are described with sixty-four syllables; the eight essences and fires with fifty-four syllables. The powers, beginning with Ishana, are said to have nine syllables, as do Caraka and others, the Rajju lineage, and their predecessors. The Vastu-mandala is to be understood as having a thousand syllables in its lineage; the ritual placement (nyasa) is performed nine times, according to the region and the Vastu. In the Vetal-shaped altar, the Vastu is invoked with twenty-five syllables; another Vastu is known by nine syllables, and yet another by sixteen limbs. At the center of hexagonal, triangular, or circular forms, a quadrangular shape should be placed. When excavating for the Vastu, the rear should be level, and a Brahma stone should be set as the foundation. Finally, when laying the foundation of a corpse or installing an image, one should offer payasa, the sacred sweet food, or distribute it to all as an act of sanctification and blessing.