Vishnu Related FAQs

According to Hindu cosmology and the major scriptures like the Puranas, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva are not considered to have an origin or birth in the conventional sense. They are believed to be eternal, uncreated and have always existed as supreme divinities.

The origins of Vishnu and Shiva are explained through deepak philosophical concepts rather than literal narratives:

Lord Vishnu:

1) Vishnu is an inseperatable and full manifestation of the Supreme Brahman or the Absolute Reality itself. He is the primordial Purusha from whom the entire universe emanates.

2) The Vishnu Purana states that Vishnu is infinite, unchanging and transcendent. He is the universe's immanent preserver after being produced by Brahma.

3) Certain texts describe Vishnu as originating from the metaphysical Narayana, who is the primal being existing even before creation.

4) The Bhagavad Gita refers to Vishnu's ananta-rupa or infinite forms, which philosophically implies he has no specific point of origin.

Lord Shiva:  

1) Shiva is an indestructible, eternal reality without any beginning or end. He is considered to be the Adi Deva or the Primordial God.

2) The Shiva Purana states that Shiva is the Adi Nath or Primordial Lord, who continuously engages in the cosmic cycle of creation, preservation and dissolution.  

3) Shiva is often equated with Brahman, the supreme reality itself, making him birthless and always co-existent.

4) Philosophically, Shiva represents the Adi Tattva or Primordial Principle from which all other principles and elements originate.

5) Texts describe Shiva manifesting from the Sadashiva state of pure consciousness before the universe's formation.

So in essence, while Lord Brahma emerges at the beginning of each cosmic cycle, Vishnu and Shiva are considered eternal, beginningless divinities who always exist as the Supreme Source and the Cosmic Principles that govern all of existence and manifestation. Their "origin" is more a philosophical postulation of their primordial, imperishable nature.

The differing accounts in the major Puranas regarding the origin of Vishnu, Shiva and the Divine Feminine (Devi) highlight the pluralistic nature of Hindu mythology and philosophy. There is no single, absolute truth, but multiple perspectives that metaphorically represent the origin of the universe from the Supreme Reality.

Here is how the different Puranas describe these origins:

Vishnu Purana:

It states that Vishnu is the Supreme Brahman who creates the universe and all beings, including Shiva who emerges from Vishnu later on. This aligns with the Vaishnava perspective of Vishnu's supremacy.

Shiva Purana: 

According to this text, Shiva is the Adi Deva or the Primal God who is the origin of all, including Vishnu. This resonates with the Shaiva viewpoint that Shiva is the Absolute Reality.

Devi Bhagavata Purana:

This scripture describes the Supreme Goddess or Devi as the Adi Parashakti who creates Vishnu and Shiva. This perspective aligns with the Shakta tradition that recognizes the Divine Feminine as the source of all creation.

The apparent contradictions arise because each of these texts is rooted in a particular philosophical perspective - Vaishnavism, Shaivism and Shaktism respectively. They use metaphors and stories to expound their particular viewpoint on the Absolute Reality.

However, most Hindu scholars saw these diverse descriptions as  representing the same essential truth - that there is One Supreme Reality with triple aspects of creation (Brahma), preservation (Vishnu) and dissolution (Shiva). This unity co-exists with the diversity of approaches.

The highly regarded philosopher Adi Shankaracharya posited that Brahman (the Absolute) has two aspects - Nirguna (without attributes) and Saguna (with attributes). The Nirguna Brahman transcends all names and forms, while the Saguna Brahman allows for diverse depictions like Vishnu, Shiva or Devi as per individual perspective and approach.

So in essence, the different Puranic origins point to the philosophical truth that the Supreme Reality is one, yet allows for multiple valid paths to realize and depict it as per different viewpoints, without any single claim being the absolute truth.

According to Hindu cosmology, there is an important distinction made between Vishnu and Mahavishnu:

Vishnu:

- Vishnu is the principal deity of the Vaishnava tradition and one of the three primary deities of the Hindu Trimurti along with Brahma and Shiva.

- He is the preserver and protector of the universe and presides over the mode of sustenance (sattva guna).

- Vishnu incarnates in various avatars like Rama, Krishna, etc. to restore dharma on earth.

- He is depicted as having four arms, holding a conch, lotus, mace and discus.

- Vishnu resides in the spiritual world of Vaikuntha with his consort Lakshmi.

Mahavishnu:

- Mahavishnu is a higher metaphysical concept representing the transcendent and eternal source from which the material universe emanates in Hindu cosmology.

- He is described as existing on the causal ocean (Karana Samudra) before the creation of the material worlds.

- Mahavishnu is the origin of innumerable Vishnu expansions who preside over different universes in the material cosmos. 

- He is sometimes depicted as a cosmic divine Purusha lying on the serpent Ananta Shesha, from whose naval the material universes emanate.

- The Bhagavata Purana describes Mahavishnu breathing out the universes with innumerable Brahmas arising from the pores of His transcendental body.

- Conceptually, Mahavishnu represents the ultimate, all-pervading source from which even Vishnu and other divinities expand.

So in essence, while Vishnu is the primary Vaishnava deity worshipped for sustenance of the universe, Mahavishnu is the metaphysical foundational reality that is the originator of countless material universes and their respective presiding deities like Vishnu himself. Mahavishnu is the eternal, all-expansive source from which even Vishnu and other gods arise to govern the material manifestations.