पूजा तेषां कतं भावि बहुत्वाच्चात्र पठ्यते । यस्य राष्ट्रे रुद्रलिंगं पूज्यते नैव शक्तितः
pūjā teṣāṃ kataṃ bhāvi bahutvāccātra paṭhyate | yasya rāṣṭre rudraliṃgaṃ pūjyate naiva śaktitaḥ
«Comment leur culte pourra-t-il être accompli comme il se doit ? Car ils sont nombreux, ainsi qu’il est rapporté ici. Dans tout royaume où le liṅga de Rudra n’est pas vénéré selon les moyens et avec la dévotion requise…»
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)
Scene: A council-like moment: sages/devas reflect on the difficulty of properly worshipping countless liṅgas; the mood is thoughtful, emphasizing responsibility and capacity.
Collective well-being is tied to sincere, capacity-based worship of Śiva (Rudra) through the liṅga.
No named tīrtha appears in this verse; it sets up the later establishment of a specific liṅga and sacred tank.
Liṅga-pūjā should be performed “śaktitaḥ”—according to one’s means and with due devotion.