defined Vastu Shastra on Ivory-Tower: A traditional Hindu system of design based on directional alignments. It is primarily applied in Hindu architecture, especially for Hindu temples. The Sanskrit word vastu means "any really existing or abiding substance or essence, thing, object, article", and also "goods, wealth, property". The vrddhi, vastu takes the meaning of "the site or foundation of a house, site, ground, building or dwelling-place, habitation, homestead, house". The underlying root is vas "to dwell, live, stay, abide". The term shastra may loosely be translated as "science, doctrine, teaching".