Shloka 9
छायापुरुषलक्षणवर्णनम्
Description of the Marks of the Shadow-Person
शुक्ले धर्मं विजानीयात्कृष्णे पापं विनिर्दिशेत् । रक्ते बंधं विजानीयात्पीते विद्विषमादिशेत्
śukle dharmaṃ vijānīyātkṛṣṇe pāpaṃ vinirdiśet | rakte baṃdhaṃ vijānīyātpīte vidviṣamādiśet
白はダルマの徴と知れ。黒にはパーパ（罪）を示すべし。赤には束縛（バンダ）を認め、黄には怨憎・敵意（ヴィドヴェーシャ）を推し量るべし。
Suta Goswami (narrating the Uma-saṃhitā teaching to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)
Tattva Level: pasha
Significance: Color-omen hermeneutics used to guide conduct before worship/pilgrimage; encourages choosing śuddha (white) auspicious conditions for dharmic acts and avoiding doṣa-indicating signs.
FAQs
It teaches discernment (viveka): certain qualities and outcomes are symbolically read through colours—white for dharma, black for pāpa, red for bondage, and yellow for hostility—so a seeker can correct conduct and move toward Shiva’s grace and liberation.
In Linga-worship, purity of intention is central: dharma (white) supports auspicious worship, while pāpa, bondage, and hostility cloud devotion. The verse functions as a diagnostic—reminding devotees to approach Saguna Shiva with sattvic clarity rather than passion-bound or hostile states.
Cultivate “whiteness” inwardly through japa of the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), sāttvika conduct, and purification; reduce “black/red/yellow” tendencies by confession, restraint, and devotion—supported by traditional Shaiva practices like bhasma (Tripuṇḍra) and steady meditation on Shiva.