Shiva Purana — Rudra Samhita, Shloka 49
तारक-कुमार-युद्धवर्णनम् / Description of the Battle between Tāraka and Kumāra
कुमारमग्रतः कृत्वा हरिकेन्द्रमुखास्सुराः । चक्रुर्नीराजनं प्रीत्या मुनयश्चापरे तथा
kumāramagrataḥ kṛtvā harikendramukhāssurāḥ | cakrurnīrājanaṃ prītyā munayaścāpare tathā
将库玛罗（斯甘达）置于前方，诸天——由哈利（毗湿奴）与因陀罗领衔——欢喜地行作尼罗阇那之礼，摇举吉祥灯火；其余诸牟尼亦同样以虔敬而行。
Sūta Gosvāmin
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Umāpati
Significance: Depicts communal devotion (devas and ṛṣis) as a means of accruing puṇya and aligning the paśu with Pati’s order; the public ārati (nīrājana) signifies auspicious recognition of divine presence.
Offering: dipa
FAQs
It highlights bhakti expressed through reverent ritual: even the devas and sages honor Kumāra with nīrājana, showing that divine grace is approached through humility, auspicious worship, and loving devotion aligned with Śiva’s cosmic order.
Nīrājana is a Saguna mode of worship—offering light to the manifest divine. In the Śaiva context, such honoring of Kumāra (Śiva’s son and commander of dharma) reflects devotion to Śiva’s accessible, gracious forms, complementing Linga worship as a concrete focus for reverence.
Perform nīrājana (ārati) with a steady, devotional mind—offering light as an outer symbol of inner illumination; accompany it with Śiva-nāma or the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) as appropriate.