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What is the position of Lord Vishnu as per Shiva Purana? Is he given the status of Supreme anywhere in Shiva Purana?

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    The Vishnu purana and Bhagavata purana give a better position to Shiva than the Shiva purana gives to Vishnu. –  May 02 '19 at 08:10
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    @LazyLubber you're right. see this https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/shiva-purana-english/d/doc226407.html chapter, the previous and next chapter. narasimha avatar story ends quite differently after saving prahlada, he goes on to destroy universe and he had to be killed by siva . VP and BP though Vishnu centred don't cross certain level, but SP goes too far. I think it is a result of interpolations. – Log Tran May 02 '19 at 12:44
  • @LogTran SP doesn't go too far. It merely follows The Vedas. See Taittiriya Aranyaka 3.15 and its same passages in Shiva Purāna Satarudra Samhita and Linga Purana 1.96 – Paramshiva Jun 07 '22 at 10:08

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Lord Vishnu is the Form of Para-Brahman that preseves the world according to the Shiva-Purana:

a-kAras cha mahAvijam rajah srastrA chaturmukhah/u-kArah prakritir yonih sattvam pAlayitA harih,ma-karo purusho vijam tamah-samhArako harah// (Vayaviya-samhita, Uttara bhaga, chapter 7).

Meaning : [Of A-U-M], A is the great 'vija' of the fourheaded Brahmaa Who embodies rajo-guna and is the creator, U is the vija of Hari Who embodies sattva-guna and preserves the world by His prakriti and is the source of everything, and M is the the vija of Hara Who embodies tamo-guna and is the destroyer by His Paurusha.

In another place of the Shiva-Purana we get

A-kAro brahma iti Aha U-kAro vishnur uchchyate/Ma-karas tu UmA jneyA prashantam shAshvatam dhruvam// (sanatkumara-samhita)

Meaning : A-kara is Brahmaa, U-kara is Vishnu and M-kara is Uma. All are very gentle, Eternal and Truth.

It is interesting to note that the Vishnu-Purana also says the same:

shaktayo yasya devasya brahmaa-vishnu-shivAtmikah/brahmaa-vishnu-shivAh Brahman pradhAnA brahmashaktayah//

Meaning : The three Principal forms of Brahman in form of Its energy are Brahmaa, Vishnu and Shiva.

sarga-sthiti-anta-kArinim brahma-vishnu-shivAtmikAm/sa sanjam yAti bhagavAn eka eva janardanah//

Meaning : The three forms of the Same Bhagavan Janardana are Brahmaa, Vsihnu and Shiva for creation-preservation-destruction. Brahman becomes Manifest in these three forms.

Reference: Pranava-Prema-Piyusha, Mahamilan Math, Vol.1, pages 135-141

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