Ikṣvāku-vaṃśa-prasaṅgaḥ — Genealogy of the Ikṣvāku Line and Exempla of Royal Dharma
स गत्वा जयतां श्रेष्ठस्तनयैस्सह पार्थिवः । समुद्रं खनयामास वालुकार्णवमध्यतः
sa gatvā jayatāṃ śreṣṭhastanayaissaha pārthivaḥ | samudraṃ khanayāmāsa vālukārṇavamadhyataḥ
Kemudian raja itu—yang utama di antara para pemenang—pergi ke sana bersama putra-putranya, lalu menggali lautan dari tengah samudra pasir.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha
Sthala Purana: Episode belongs to the Dhundhu narrative: the king (Kuva(l)ayaśva/Sagara-type motif) with his sons excavates through a ‘sea of sand’ to reach the hidden ocean and confront the subterranean obstruction (Dhundhu).
Significance: Frames the ideal of kṣātra-dharma subordinated to divine will; effort (puruṣakāra) becomes fruitful only when aligned with grace (anugraha) later in the narrative.
It highlights intense human effort and resolve within dharma; in a Shaiva Siddhanta reading, such exertion becomes fruitful when aligned with the higher order (Pati’s will), reminding the seeker that disciplined action prepares one for Shiva’s grace.
Though the verse is narrative and does not name the Linga directly, it reflects the Purāṇic theme that extraordinary acts undertaken with right intention ultimately point toward Saguna Shiva as the guiding Lord who makes arduous undertakings meaningful and spiritually oriented.
The takeaway is perseverance in sādhana—steady japa of the Panchākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and disciplined daily worship—mirroring the king’s unwavering effort, even when the goal seems vast like an ocean.