Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu
2 states:
Vishnu is the most ancient of all, yet also the most recent. Nothing and no one
creates Vishnu, yet Vishnu creates everyone and everything.
Rig Veda (1.22.20):
Vishnu occupies the paramount position. All the other deities look always to His
feet.
The Narayana Suktam of the Yajurveda states:
Narayana is the Lord of the universe. This master is the ruler of himself. He is
the eternally auspicious one and he is constant and unchanging. This Narayana is
the highest thing to be known. He is the inner-psyche of all. He is the supreme
object and the highest goal of attainment.
Narayana is the supreme Brahman. Narayana is the supreme Reality. Narayana is the
supreme Light. Narayana is the supreme Self. Narayana is the most excellent
meditate and meditation.
Rigveda 7.99.2 states:
"No being that is or that has been born, divine Viṣṇu, has attained the utmost
limit of your magnitude by which you have upheld the vast and beautiful heaven, and
sustained the eastern horizon of the earth."
Narayan Upanishad Mantra 2
अ थ नि त्यो ना रा य णः । ब्र ह्मा ना रा य णः । शि व श् च ना रा य णः । श क्र श् च ना रा य णः । द्या वा पृ थि व्यौ च ना रा य णः । का ल श् च ना रा य णः ।
दि श श् च ना रा य णः । ऊ र्ध्व श् च ना रा य णः । अ ध श् च ना रा य णः । अ न्त र्ब हि श् च ना रा य णः । ना रा य ण ए वे द ꣳ स र्व म् । य द्भू तं य च्च भ व्य म् ।
नि ष्क लो नि र ञ्ज नो नि र्वि क ल् पो नि रा ख् या तः शु द्धो दे व ए को ना रा य णः । न द्वि ती यो ऽ स्ति क श्चित् । य ए वं वे द । स वि ष्णु रे व भ व ति स
वि ष्णु रे व भ व ति ॥ (एतद्यजुर्वेदशिरोऽधीते ।)॥२॥
स ब्रह्मा स शिवः सेन्द्रः सोऽक्षरः परमः स्वराट् । स एव विष्णुः स प्राणः स कालोऽग्निः स चन्द्रमाः॥८॥
“Alone indeed there was Naaraayana, not Brahma, not Ishana, not water, neither fire
nor Soma, neither Heaven nor Prtvi (the Earth), not the stars, not Surya and not
the moon. He being alone, did not rejoice.”
"Narayana alone was there initially. Neither Brahma, nor Shankara. With the thought
to create, he resolved. From then, everyone including Brahma, Agni, Yama, Varuna,
Vishnu (anirudha), Rudra, and Indra were born."
-Paingirahasya Brahmana
नि यु क्ता न्पु रु षा न् ब्र ह्मा द क्षि ण तः पु रु षे ण ना रा य णे ना भि ष्टौ ति स ह स्र शी र्षा पु रु षः स ह स्रा क्षः स ह स्र पा दि त्ये ते न
By means of the Purusha Naaraayana, the Brahman priest (seated) to the right
(south) of them, praises the men bound (to the stakes) with this sixteen-versed
mantra, 'The thousand-headed Puruṣa, thousand-eyed, thousand-footed …;'
-Shatapatha Braahmana, Khanda 13, Adhyaaya 6, Braahmana 2, Mantra 12
ब्र ह्म स् व य मु भू श् च तु रा न नो वा |
रु द्र स्त्रि णे त्र स्त्रि पु रा न्त को वा |
इ न्द्रो म हे न्द्रः सु र ना य को वा |
त्रा तु म् न श क्ता यु धि रा म व ध् य म् || Valmiki Ramayana Sundarkanda Sarga 51 Verse 45
"Either Brahma the self-existing god with four faces or Rudra with three eyes and
the destroyer of Tripura (the city built of gold, silver and iron in the sky, air
and earth, by Maya for the demons and burnt by Shiva), or Mahendra the god of
atmosphere and sky as also the lord of celestials would not be able to protect the
one to be killed by Rama in battle."
Vishnur itthA paramam asya vidvAn jAtO brihann abhi pAti trutIyam Rg Veda Manthram
passage (X.1.3)
Vishnu becomes vast and wise as soon as He is manifested, and pervades the entire
Universe. He, as fire divine, protects His third form, which is the Sun.
त्रि र्दे॒ वः पृ॑ थि॒ वी मे॒ ष ए॒ तां वि च॑ क्र मे श॒ त र्च॑ सं म हि॒ त्वा ।
प्र वि ष्णु॑ र स् तु त॒ व स॒ स् त वी॑ या न्त्वे॒ षं ह्य॑ स् य॒ स् थ वि॑ र स् य॒ ना म॑ ॥
"This deity, by his great power, traversed with three (steps) the many- lustrous
earth; may Viṣṇu, the most powerful of the powerful rule over us, for illustrious
is the name of the mighty one."
ना स्ति ना रा य ण स मं न भू तं न भ वि ष्य ति । ए ते न स त्य वा क् ये न स र्वा र्था न्सा ध या म्य ह म् '॥ (Mahabharat 1.1.34)
There is nothing which is equal to Nārāyana ; there never was such a thing and
there never will be such a thing.
आलोड्य सर्वशास्त्राणि विचार्य च पुनःपुनः। इदमेकं सुनिष्पन्नं ध्येयो नारायणः सदा॥ Mahabharat 13-186-11
“Having enquired into these Shaastras of various kinds, and analyzing them
repeatedly, the following one truth is brought forth — Naaraayana is always to be
meditated upon.”