Shloka 4
Ikṣvāku-vaṃśa-prasaṅgaḥ — Genealogy of the Ikṣvāku Line and Exempla of Royal Dharma
भक्षयित्वा शशं शीघ्रं शशादत्वमतो गतः । इक्ष्वाकुणा परित्यक्तश्शशादो वनमाविशत
bhakṣayitvā śaśaṃ śīghraṃ śaśādatvamato gataḥ | ikṣvākuṇā parityaktaśśaśādo vanamāviśata
Having quickly devoured a hare, he thereby came to be known as “Śaśāda” (hare-eater). Abandoned by King Ikṣvāku, Śaśāda entered the forest.
Suta Goswami (narrating the Purāṇic account to the sages, within the Umāsaṃhitā narrative flow)
Tattva Level: pashu
FAQs
It highlights how impulsive, desire-driven action leads to a changed identity and consequence—bondage (pāśa) expressed as social fall and exile—urging self-restraint and dharmic conduct on the path toward Shiva’s grace.
Though not directly describing Liṅga worship, the episode sets a moral backdrop: purification of conduct and control of senses are prerequisites for fruitful Saguna Shiva worship, where devotion is strengthened by ethical discipline.
A practical takeaway is sense-restraint with japa of the Pañcākṣarī—“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—as a daily discipline to curb impulsive craving and reorient the mind toward Shiva.