Śivasaṃhitā 5.18

The practice of pratīkopāsanā—meditation on one’s own shadow projected in the sky—opens the section on subtle self-observation techniques. Dawn and twilight are privileged moments: oblique light casts long, sharp shadows, and the still-fresh mind possesses greater concentration. Seeing one’s shadow complete and without fragmentation in the sky indicates integrity of the prāṇic field.

Pratīka—“image,” “representative symbol,” from prati-añc (“that which comes toward you”)—is here the shadow itself as reflection of the subtle body. The instruction to gaze at the kaṇṭha (neck) of the shadow has anatomical logic: the neck bridges the head—seat of consciousness—and the trunk—seat of vital energy. Nabhas (“sky”) is also synonymous with the internal ākāśa, the space of consciousness.

Practices involving contemplation of one’s own shadow appear across diverse traditions. In ancient India, chāyopāsanā had both divinatory and meditative functions. Within the Śivasaṃhitā’s context, the shadow is pratīka of the sūkṣma śarīra—the subtle body. Seeing the shadow complete and undistorted in the celestial space was a sign of full health and sustained spiritual progress.