Ikṣvāku-vaṃśa-prasaṅgaḥ — Genealogy of the Ikṣvāku Line and Exempla of Royal Dharma
उत्तरापथदेशस्य रक्षितारो महीक्षितः । अयोधस्य तु दायादः ककुत्स्थो नाम वीर्य्यवान्
uttarāpathadeśasya rakṣitāro mahīkṣitaḥ | ayodhasya tu dāyādaḥ kakutstho nāma vīryyavān
Raja-raja penjaga negeri Uttarāpatha adalah penguasa bumi yang sangat perkasa. Dari garis Ayodhyā lahir seorang ahli waris gagah bernama Kakutstha.
Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha
It frames righteous kingship as dharmic protection of the land—an outer reflection of inner discipline—supporting the Shaiva view that orderly life and virtue prepare the soul (paśu) to turn toward the Lord (Pati) for liberation.
Though not directly about the Liṅga, it sets the narrative world where ideal rulers uphold dharma; in the Shiva Purana, such dharma is sustained by devotion to Saguna Śiva and temple-centered worship that stabilizes society and the seeker’s mind.
The implied takeaway is dharma-protection through daily Shaiva discipline—reciting the Pañcākṣarī ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya"), maintaining purity, and offering simple worship—so one’s life becomes a guarded ‘realm’ fit for Śiva-bhakti.