Shloka 23
Ikṣvāku-vaṃśa-prasaṅgaḥ — Genealogy of the Ikṣvāku Line and Exempla of Royal Dharma
स एवमुक्तो राजर्षिरुत्तंकेन महात्मना । कुवलाश्वः सुतं प्रादात्तस्मै धुन्धुनिवारणे
sa evamukto rājarṣiruttaṃkena mahātmanā | kuvalāśvaḥ sutaṃ prādāttasmai dhundhunivāraṇe
Thus addressed by the great-souled sage Uttanka, the royal seer Kuvalāśva gave his son to him, for the purpose of checking (and destroying) Dhundhu.
Suta Goswami (narrating the Purana account to the sages, as typical of the Shiva Purana frame)
Tattva Level: pashu
Sthala Purana: Embedded heroic episode: King Kuvalāśva, prompted by sage Uttanka, commissions his son for the suppression of the demon Dhundhu—an archetypal ‘dharma-protection’ narrative rather than a jyotirliṅga origin.
FAQs
It highlights dharma in action: a righteous ruler offers what is most dear (his own son) for the protection of the world, showing selfless duty aligned with the Shaiva vision that Pati (Shiva) supports the upholding of cosmic order through noble resolve.
Though the verse is narrative, its thrust supports Saguna Shiva’s governance of the world: the removal of adharma (Dhundhu) mirrors Shiva’s protective grace, which devotees ritually approach through linga-worship seeking inner and outer obstacles to be restrained.
A practical takeaway is sankalpa with Shiva’s name—perform japa of the Panchakshara ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya") for protection and steadiness while undertaking dharmic responsibilities; the verse emphasizes disciplined commitment rather than a specific rite.