Vastu Shastra - The Science Of Hindu Architecture Part III

Depending upon their mental proclivities, human beings can be divided into four categories. The first category comprises of people who are intellectual and use their intellect to make a living.
Those who have a talent to govern and also those who can bear arms to defend their country against an invader belong to the second category.
In the third category are people who have a significant talent for trade and commerce and are able to generate wealth for their country.
Finally there are people who are mentally geared for service industry only, and earn their living by providing their services to others. They belong to the fourth category.
These four categories are called Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra. Hindu society was graded into four casts based upon the natural tendencies of people. These casts were not set in stone. A person could move up or down in the hierarchy depending upon his calling. Over a long period of time the system became ossified with all its attendant complications.
The soil in a plot is also divided into four categories and each category of soil is good for the corresponding social class. If the color of soil is white or close to it, it is called Brahmini or good for Brahmins. Red colored soil is good for  Kshatriya caste, greenish hued soil for the Vaishya class and finally black colored soil is good for Shudra class.
Vastu frowns upon plots of land which are situated close to rivers and lakes. Water is a significant storehouse of energy and a water body on the east, west or north direction of a plot is considered unfavorable. It tends to drain away wealth from the inhabitants. If one must have a swimming pool, it should always be constructed in the south of the plot. This is the only direction where it becomes favorable.
There is another way to assess the results of a plot of land. The owner should measure the length and breadth of the house using the length of his arm as a unit of length. Multiplying the two will give the area of the plot. This must be divided by seven and the remainder noted. Even remainders are not good. Odd remainders promote happiness and prosperity.
The following table gives the applicable results

Remainder	1	2	3	4
Vastu	Pennant	Smoke	Lion	Dog
Result	Wealth	Delusion	Money	Arguments
Remainder	5	6	7	8
Vastu	Bull	Donkey	Elephant	Dhwast
Result	Wealth	Trouble	Progeny	Destruction