Does Shiv sankalp suktam Declares shiva is Above Vishnu?

            ||Prayers||

I bow down to My eternal mother, The Great Goddess of the universe who is the very cause of all Causes, The daughter of king Janka, Mother Sītā. I Prostrate before the Lord of The universe, the undisputed supreme being of the universe, whose lotus feet is worshipped by All the Gods, The Lord of the raghus, Sri Rama. I seek the blessings of my elder brother, The Greatest amongst warriors, The annihilator of Lanka, the one who defeated Rāvana and is the Greatest devotee of Lord Rāma, Lord Hanūmān. May the bless me always.

           Introduction

This post is another part of the series of refuting Vishnu dweshis, and perhaps the most important topic to be addressed. In various posts of this blog, I have explained again and again how all names of the vedas originally belong to God Narayana alone, who later gave them to other Gods, who are the offsprings of Narayana and Goddess Mahalakshmi. By proper analysis of Vedas, mahabharata, Ramayana and authentic purans, an unbiased reader will come to a similar conclusion ~ god Narayana is the Solo supreme beings of the vedas. But then we see A Shlok from khila part of the vedas, which is the apple of the eye for these Vishnu dweshis :

परात्परतरो ब्रह्मा तत्परात्परतो हरिः । तत्परात्परतो ईश तन्मे मन शिवसंकल्पमस्तु ।। 
"Greater than the great is Brahma, greater still than that great one is Hari, even greater than this one is Isha."

In this post, I have already explained how the names Rudra, Shiva, mahesvar,Shankar, sambhu etc of vedas denote Lord sridhar alone, so even This one should be interpreted in the same light, because the Srutis cannot contradict under any circumstance. 

Unauthentic verses in shiv sankalp suktam

The vishnu dveshis quote the Alleged 18th mantra of shiv sankalp suktam to carry out their propoganda, but Those verse aren't even a part of The actual khilani section and this has been Explained in this post by my friend, Please don't forget to check it out. The original Shiv sankalp suktam has got only 13 verses, in which the ones Mentioning shiva, kailash or the favourite verse of Vishnu haters saying isha is greater than hari, are not there. All claims like manusmriti mentioning It, medhatiti mentioning it or sayanacharya commenting on it have been refuted here. The so called Suktam is allegedly the part of a bogus upanishad called "sivsankalpopanishad". So the verse isnt even fit Enough to be considered. 

Who is the supreme being of vedas ?

The vedas sing the Greatness of Lord Narayana From starting to it, with different suktams like Vishnu, Indra, agni, Narayana, purusha, Sri Rudram, Kāla, skamba, viswakarma etc, so there is no doubt that The only supreme being declared by RV 1.164.46 is Lord Vishnu alone. Maharishi vyas, who is the compiler of the Vedas, purans and The mahabharata, Has spoken multiple Times that There is no deity who is superior to the Lord Janardana. He make a pledge regarding the same issue in the very beginning of The mahabharata, in the harivamsa parva. The agastya samhita mentions how the Vedas incarnated as the Vālmiki Ramayana, (which is regarded as panchveda and the essence of all vedic literature) when the supreme being was born as the son lf King dasratha.  Let us analyze various Mantras and suktams from the vedas regarding the same. 

  Contradictory verses

There are plenty of verses in the vedas itself that contradict The "General interpretation" of the shiv sankalp suktam. The main ones are :

• eko ha vai nārāyaṇa āsīn na brahmā na ca śaṅkaraḥ (paingini Rahasya Brahmana, Rig veda) ~ Only Narayana was present in the beginning, Not brahma and shiva. 
• eko vai nārāyaṇa āsīnna brahmā neśāno (Mahaopanishad)~ same meaning as the previous one. 
• lalātāt krodhajo rudro jāyate (subalopanishad)~ from Narayana's forehead Was Rudra born.
• nārāyanāt brahmā jāyate, nārāyanāt rudro jāyate (Narayanopanishad) ~ from Narayana, Brahma was Born, from Narayana, Rudra was born
• asya devasya mīḷhuṣo vayā viṣṇoreṣasya prabhṛthe havirbhiḥ | vide hi rudro rudriyaṃ mahitvaṃ yāsiṣṭaṃ vartiraśvināvirāvat ||(Rig veda samhita 7.40.5)~ With offerings I propitiate the branches of this swift-moving God, the bounteous Viṣṇu. Hence Rudra gained his Rudra-strength: O Aśvins, ye sought the house that hath celestial viands.

These were the verses from the vedas itself that contradict And overshadow the General interpretation of the Shiv sankalp suktam mantra, and all of them are either from authentic Upanishads which have been quoted by ancient vedantins or The Main samhita and Brahmana of the Vedas. Moreover, the Last mantra from Rig veda samhita clearly says that shiva gained his strength after worshipping Narayana, and the same translation has also been quoted by Sri Madhwacharya also in his Brahm sutra bhasya. (Note : the concept of hierarchy of "Shivas" doesn't exists in vedas, mahabharata and The Ramayana i.e One cannot say this is talking about "Rudra" not "Sadāsiva", because all these names are accorded to one being only)now We shall perform an analysis of More Vedic mantras to Assert Narayana supremacy in vedas. 

The supreme Lord in the vedas :

The vedas have declared Lord narayana to be the most powerful, The creator of all, the source and dissoultion of all and the one who surpasses all. 

aṁbhasyapāre bhuvanasya madhye nākasya pṛṣṭhe mahato mahīyān śukreṇa jyotīɱṣi samanupraviṣṭaḥ prajāpatiścarati garbhe antaḥ .

"The Lord of creation, who is present in the shoreless waters, on the earth and above the heaven and who is greater than the great, having entered the shining intelligences of creatures in seed form, acts in the foetus." (Mahanarayana Upanishad, Taittiriya aranyaka)

Comment : the opening mantra of the Mahanarayana upanishad in Taittiriya aranyaka of Yajur veda, praises the "Lord of shoreless waters" i.e Narayana, as the one who is the Greater than the Greatest. This has been repeated in vedavatar Valmiki Ramayana also :

tvaṃ yajñstvaṃ vaṣaṭkārastvamoṃkāraḥ parātparaḥ ||  prabhavaṃ nidhanaṃ vā te no viduḥ ko bhavāniti |(6.117.20)

You are the sacrificial performance. You are the sacred syllable 'Vashat' (on hearing which the Adhvaryu priest casts the oblation to a deity into the sacrificial fire). You are the mystic syllable 'OM'. You are higher than the highest. People neither know your end nor your origin nor who you are in reality.

ā paprau pārthivaṃ rajo badbadhe rocanā divi |
na tvāvānindra kaścana na jāto na janiṣyate.ati viśvaṃ vavakṣitha ||

"He filled the earthly atmosphere and pressed against the lights in heaven. None like thee ever hath been born, none, Indra (narayana), will be born like thee. Thou hast waxed mighty over all." (Rig ved 1.81)

Comment : this mantra is from one of the Indra suktams of Rig veda and has been quoted by adi shankaracharya for lord narayana. It clearly says he is the one who has proved his greatness over everyone. 

Adha nithyo Narayana. Brahma Narayana. Shivascha Narayana. Shankrascha Narayana. Kaalascha Narayana. Disascha Narayana. Vidhisascha Narayana. Oordhwascha Narayana. Adhascha Narayana. Anthar bahischa Narayana. Narayana eevedam sarva yad bhootham yachcha bhavyam. Nish kalanko niranjano Nirvikalpo niraakhyatha shabho deva eka Narayano na dwitheyesthi kaschit. Ya evam veda sa vishnureva bhavathi sa Vishnureva bhavathi. Ethad Yajur veda siro adithe

He is perennial. Narayana is Brahma. Narayana is Shiva. Narayana is Indra and Kaala (god of death). All directions are Narayana. All sides are Narayana. Inside and outside is Narayana. Narayana is what has happened, what is happening and what will happen. Narayana is the only God who is blemish less, stain less, order less, end less and who cannot be described and when Narayana is there, there is no other second. He who knows this, becomes himself Lord Vishnu. Thus is read, the Upanishads of Yajur Veda.

Atharva veda 7.25 :

"The early morning prayer hath come to Vishnu and Varuna, Lords through might, whom none hath equalled, Gods by whose power the realms of air were stablished, strongest and most heroic in their vigour .The early prayer hath ever come to Vishnu and Varuna by that God's high power and statute .In whose control is all this world that shineth, all that hath powers to see and all that breatheth."

Comment : The above mantra from the atharva veda is dedicated to lord Vishnu (Vaman deva) and Lord Varuna, but the main deity is always Lord Vishnu because The Yajur veda itself says देवताणं विष्णु परमः or Vishnu (Vaman avatar) is the Greatest amongst Gods, which is repeated in the Aitreya Brahmana i.e विष्णुं परमं तदन्तरं सर्व देवताः or vishnu is the Highest amongst the Gods and the sathpath Brahmana also says तदविष्णु प्रथमा प्रपद सा देवानाम श्रेष्ठो i.e vishnu is the Best amongst Gods. This mantra clearly says that none had equalled The Lord's Might, his power and he is the controller of everything. So there is no point of some one else being Greater than him. 

yasminnidaɱ saṁ ca vi caiti sarvaṁ yasmin devā adhi viśve niṣeduḥ . tadeva bhūtaṁ tadu bhavyamā idaṁ tadakṣare parame vyoman 

"That in which all this universe exists together and into which it dissolves, That in which all the gods remain enjoying their respective powers—That certainly is whatever that has been in the past and whatever indeed is to come in the future. This cause of the universe, Prajāpati (Narayana), is supported by His own imperishable nature described as absolute." (Mahanarayana upanishad, Taittitiya Aranyaka)

Comment : the second verse of the Mahanarayana Upanishad from Taittiriya aranyaka, This clearly says that Lord Narayana is the one in whom the universe exists and dissolves, and who is the bestower of powers to all Gods. Now if he is the one who bestows powers to all Gods, then how can be there someone greater than him?

yataḥ prasūtā jagataḥ prasūtī toyena jīvān vyacasarja bhūmyām .yadoṣadhībhiḥ puruṣān paśūɱśca viveśa bhūtāni carācarāṇi .. 4.. ataḥ paraṁ nānyadaṇīyasaɱ hi parātparaṁ yanmahato mahāntam . yadekamavyaktamanantarūpaṁ viśvaṁ purāṇaṁ tamasaḥ parastāt .. 5..

"From whom the Creatrix of the world, Prakṛti, was born, who created in the world creatures out of elements such as water, who entered beings consisting of herbs, quadrupeds and men as the inner controller, who is greater than the greatest, who is one without a second, who is imperceptible, who is of unlimited forms, who is the universe, who is ancient, who remains beyond darkness or Prakṛti and who is higher than the highest—nothing else exists other than, or subtler than, Him." (Mahanarayana Upanishad, Taittiriya aranyaka)

Comment : This mantra alone refutes the Interpretation of Nirakar nirguna Guys on the shiv sankalp suktam, as it clearly says Narayana is the Greatest, higher the Highest and one who is without a second. It even says he has got unlimited forms, which is confirmed by Srimad bhagvat mahaPuran also. 

tadevartaṁ tadu satyamāhustadeva brahma paramaṁ kavīnām . iṣṭāpūrtaṁ bahudhā jātaṁ jāyamānaṁ viśvaṁ bibharti bhuvanasya nābhiḥ 

Sages declare: "That alone is right and That alone is true That alone is the venerable Brahman contemplated by the wise. Acts of wor­ship and social utility also are that Reality. That alone being the navel of the universe, sustains manifold the universe which arose in the past and which springs to existence at present." (Mahanarayana Upanishad, Taittiriya Aranyaka)

comment : The Lord alone is the supreme Truth as said in Valmiki Ramayana 6.117.14 satyaṃ ca madhye cānte ca rāghava i.e The Lord is the supreme Truth abiding in the middle as well as at the end of the universe and Bhagwat geeta 7.6 also where the Lord clearly confirms there is nothing higher than him. He is the supreme creator, preserver and destroyer of the Whole universe, he alone is the Supreme reality. 

Yajur veda 7.1.5

This was in the beginning the waters, the ocean. In it Prajapati (Narayana) becoming the wind moved. He saw her, and becoming a boar he seized her. Her, becoming Viçvakarma, he wiped. She extended, she became the earth, and hence the earth is called the earth (lit. 'the extended'). In her Prajapati made effort. He produced the gods, Vasus, Rudras, and Adityas. The gods said to Prajapati, 'Let us have offspring.' He said, 'As I have created you by penance, so seek ye offspring in penance.' He gave to them Agni as a support, saying, 'Strive with that support.' They strove with Agni as a support

Comment : This is the reference to the boar incarnation of the Lord, where he saved bhu devi. It further says that All Gods are the children of Narayana and mahalakshmi (Bhu devi). It also confirms the fact that Visvakarma is none other than the Lord himself. 

nārāyaṇaḥ paraṁ brahma tattvaṁ nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ, nārāyaṇaḥ paro jyotirātmā nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ. nārāyaṇaḥ paro dhyātā dhyānam nārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ.

"The Lord Narayana is the Supreme Absolute; Narayana is the Supreme Reality; Narayana is the Supreme Light; Narayana is the Supreme Self; Narayana is the Supreme Meditator; Narayana is the Supreme Meditation." (Narayana suktam, Taittiriya aranyaka)

ṛtagï satyaṁ paraṁ brahma puruṣaṁ kṛṣṇapiṅgalam, ūrdhvaretaṁ virūpākśaṁ viśvarūpāya vai namo namaḥ.

"Prostrations again and again to the Omni-formed Being, the Truth, the Law, the Supreme Absolute, the Purusha of blue-decked yellow hue, the Centralised-force Power, the All-seeing One." (Narayana suktam, Taittiriya aranyaka)

yacca kiñcijjagatsarvaṁ dṛśyate śrūyate’pi vā, antarbahiśca tatsarvaṁ vyāpya nārāyaṇaḥ sthitaḥ.

"Whatever all this universe is, seen or heard of—pervading all this, from inside and outside alike, stands supreme the Eternal Divine Being (Narayana)." (Narayana suktam, Taittiriya aranyaka)

patiṁ viśvasyātmeśvaragï śāśvatagï  śivamacyutam, nārāyaṇaṁ mahājñeyaṁ viśvātmānaṁ parāyaṇam.

The protector of the universe, the Lord of all souls , the perpetual, the auspicious, the indestructible, the Goal of all creation, the Supreme object worthy of being known, the Soul of all beings, the Refuge unfailing (is He). (Narayana suktam, Taittirya aranyaka)

Comment : In this post I have explained who Narayana is, and have refuted the claim of nirakar Hippies, who Try to steal this name and give it to Other Gods. In the Mahabharata, Brahma deva has described the ancient purusha Narayana to his son Lord shiva in a similar way :

[brāhmaṇa] āścaryaṃ nātra saṃdehaḥ suprīto 'smi bhujaṃgama anvarthopagatair vākyaiḥ panthānaṃ cāsmi darśitaḥ svasti te 'stu gamiṣyāmi sādho bhujaga sattama smaraṇīyo 'smi bhavatā saṃpreṣaṇa niyojanaiḥ [nāga]anuktvā madgataṃ kāryaṃ kvedānīṃ prasthito bhavān ucyatāṃ dvija yat kāryaṃ yadarthaṃ tvam ihāgataḥ uktānukte kṛte kārye mām āmantrya dvijarṣabha mayā pratyabhyanujñātas tato yāsyasi brāhmaṇa na hi māṃ kevalaṃ dṛṣṭvā tyaktvā pranayavān iha gantum arhasi viprarṣe vṛkṣamūlagato yathā tvayi cāhaṃ dvijaśreṣṭha bhavān mayi na saṃśayaḥ loko 'yaṃ bhavataḥ sarvaḥ kā cintā mayi te 'nagha [brāhmana] evam etan mahāprājña vijñātārthabhujaṃgama nātiriktās tvayā devāḥ sarvathaiva yathātatham ya evāhaṃ sa eva tvam evam etad bhujaṃgama ahaṃ bhavāṃś ca bhūtāni sarve sarvatra gāḥ sadā āsīt tu me bhogapate saṃśayaḥ puṇyasaṃcaye so 'ham uñchavrataṃ sādho cariṣyāmy arthadarśanam eṣa me niścayaḥ sādho kṛtaḥ kāraṇavattaraḥ āmantrayāmi bhadraṃ te kṛtārtho 'smi bhujaṃgama

Brahma said,--'Listen, O son, as to how that Purusha is indicated. He is eternal and immutable. He is undeteriorating and immeasurable. He pervades all things. 1 O best of all creatures, that Purusha cannot be seen by thee, or me, or others. Those that are endued with the understanding and the senses but destitute of self-restraint and tranquility of soul cannot obtain a sight of him. The Supreme Purusha is said to be one that can be seen with the aid of knowledge alone. Though divested of body, He dwells in every body. Though dwelling, again, in bodies, He is never touched by the acts accomplished by those bodies. He is my Antaratma (inner soul). He is thy inner soul. He is the all-seeing Witness dwelling within all embodied creatures and engaged in marking their acts. No one can grasp or comprehend him at any time. The universe is the crown of his head. The universe is his arms. The universe is his feet. The universe is his eyes. The universe is his nose. Alone and single, he roves through all Kshetras (Bodies) unrestrained by any limitations on his will and as he likes. Kshetra is another name for body. And because he knows all Kshetras as also all good and bad deeds, therefore he, who is the soul of Yoga, is called by the name of Kshetrajna.  No one succeeds in perceiving how he enters into embodied creatures and how he goes out of them. Agreeably to the Sankhya mode, as also with the aid of Yoga and the due observance of the ordinances prescribed by it, I am engaged in thinking of the cause of that Purusha, but alas, I am unable to comprehend that cause, excellent as it is. I shall, however, according to the measure of my knowledge, discourse to thee upon that eternal Purusha and his Oneness and supreme greatness. The learned speak of him as the one Purusha. That one eternal Being deserves the appellation of Mahapurusha (the great supreme Purusha). Fire is an element, but it may be seen to blaze up in a thousand places under thousand different circumstances. The Sun is one and single, but his rays extend over the wide universe. Penances are of diverse kinds, but they have one common origin whence they have flowed. The Wind is one, but it blows in diverse forms in the world. The great Ocean is the one parent of all the waters in the world seen under diverse circumstances. Divested of attributes, that one Purusha is the universe displayed in infinitude. Flowing from him, the infinite universe enters into that one Purusha again who transcends all attributes, when the time of its destruction comes. By casting off the consciousness of body and the senses, by casting off all acts good and bad, by casting off both truth and falsehood, one succeeds in divesting oneself of attributes. The person who realises that inconceivable Purusha and comprehends his subtile existence in the quadruple form of Aniruddha, Pradyumna, Sankarshana, and Vasudeva, and who, in consequence of such comprehension, attains to perfect tranquillity of heart, succeeds in entering into and identifying himself with that one auspicious Purusha. Some persons possessed of learning speak of him as the supreme soul. Others regarded him as the one soul. A third class of learned men describe him as the soul.  The truth is that he who is the Supreme Soul is always divested of attributes. He is Narayana. He is the universal soul, and he is the one Purusha. He is never affected by the fruits of acts even as the leaf of the lotus is never drenched by the water one may throw upon it. The Karamta (acting Soul) is different. That Soul is sometimes engaged in acts and when it succeeds in casting off acts attains to Emancipation or identity with the Supreme Soul. The acting Soul is endued with the seven and ten possessions. Thus it is said that there are innumerable kinds of Purushas in due order. In reality, however, there is but one Purusha. He is the abode of all the ordinances in respect of the universe. He is the highest object of knowledge. He is at once the knower and the object to be known. He is at once the thinker and the object of thought. He is the eater and the food that is eaten. He is the smeller and the scent that is smelled. He is at once he that touches and the object that is touched. He is the agent that sees and the object that is seen. He is the hearer and the object that is heard. He is the conceiver and the object that is conceived. He is possessed of attributes and is free from them. What has previously, O son, been named Pradhana, and is the mother of the Mahat tattwa is no other than the Effulgence of the Supreme Soul; because He it is who is eternal, without destruction and any end and ever immutable. He it is who creates the prime ordinance in respect of Dhatri himself. Learned Brahmanas call Him by the name of Aniruddha. Whatever acts, possessed of excellent merits and fraught with blessings, flow in the world from the Vedas, have been caused by Him.  All the deities and all the Rishis, possessed of tranquil souls, occupying their places on the altar, dedicate to him the first share of their sacrificial offerings.  I, that am Brahma, the primeval master of all creatures, have started into birth from Him, and thou hast taken thy birth from me. From me have flowed the universe with all its mobile and immobile creatures, and all the Vedas, O son, with their mysteries. Divided into four portions (viz., Aniruddha, Pradyumna, Sankarshana, and Vasudeva), He sports as He pleases. That illustrious and divine Lord is even such, awakened by His own knowledge. I have thus answered thee, O son, according to thy questions, and according to the way in which the matter is expounded in the Sankha system and the Yoga philosophy." (mahabharata, 12.352)

And thus, Brahma deva hereby explains the entire Narayana suktam here in the santi parva, to his son Shiva. For those who believe shanti parva is an interpolation, This section has been quoted by Sri adi shankaracharya in his Brahm sutra bhasya 2.1.1 and by bhagwatpada Ramanujacharya in his vedartha sangraha. So, no one can call this an interpolation. 

hariɱ harantamanuyanti devā viśvasyeśānaṁ vṛṣabhaṁ matīnām |

brahmasarūpamanu medamāgādayanaṁ mā vivadhīrvikramasva || 1||

Like servants gods follow Hari who is the Lord of the universe, who leads all thoughts as the foremost leader and who absorbs into Himself the universe at the time of dissolution. May this path to liberation taught in the Vedas having the same form as Brahman open itself to me! Deprive not me of that! Strive to secure it for me. (Taittiriya aranyaka, maharanarayan upanishad, section 49)

Comment : All is made clear by the mantra itself, no need to say anything. 

Yajur veda, Taittirya samhita 4.6.2 

"He who is our father, our begetter, the ordainer, Who begot us from being unto being, Who alone assigneth their names to the gods, Him other beings approach for knowledge. Wealth they won by offering to him The seers of old like singers in abundance, he who fashioned these beings illumined and unillumined In the expanse of space. Ye shall not find him who produced this world; Another thing shall be betwixt you; Enveloped in mist and with stammering, The singers of hymns move enjoying life. Beyond the sky, beyond this earth, Beyond the gods, what is secret from the Asuras, What germ first did the waters bear, When all the gods came together? This germ the waters first bore, When all the gods came together; On the navel of the unborn is set the one On which doth rest all this world."

Comment : From the Visvakarma suktam of Yajur veda, This is a hym dedicated to Lord narayana as explained previously. It clearly says how he is the Supreme being who begot and named all Gods and created the vast expanse of space. The last line confirms the fact that It is referring to Lord narayana, from whose navel Brahma deva was born. 

yo naḥ pitā janitā yo vidhātā dhāmāni veda bhuvanāniviśvā | yo devānāṃ nāmadhā eka eva taṃ sampraśnambhuvanā yantyanyā || ta āyajanta draviṇaṃ samasmā ṛṣayaḥ pūrve jaritāro nabhūnā | asūrte sūrte rajasi niṣatte ye bhūtānisamakṛṇvannimāni || paro divā para enā pṛthivyā paro devebhirasurairyadasti | kaṃ svid gharbhaṃ prathamaṃ dadhra āpo yatra devāḥsamapaśyanta viśve || tamid gharbhaṃ prathamaṃ dadhra āpo yatra devāḥsamaghachanta viśve | ajasya nābhāvadhyekamarpitaṃyasmin viśvāni bhuvanāni tasthuḥ ||

"Father (Narayana) who made us, he who, as Disposer, knoweth all races and all things existing, Even he alone, the Deities' narne-giver,him other beings seek for information. To him in sacrifice they offered treasures,—Ṛṣis of old, in numerous troops, as singers, Who, in the distant, near, and lower region, made ready all these things that have existence. That which is earlier than this earth and heaven, before the Asuras and Gods had being,—What was the germ primeval which the waters received where all the Gods were seen together? The waters, they received that germ primeval wherein the Gods were gathefed all together. It rested set upon the Unborn's navel, that One wherein abide all things existing." (Rig veda samhita, 10.82.3-6)

kiṃ svidāsīdadhiṣṭhanamārambhaṇaṃ katamat svitkathāsīt | yato bhūmiṃ janayan viśvakarma vi dyāmaurṇon mahinā viśvacakṣāḥ || viśvataścakṣuruta viśvatomukho viśvatobāhurutaviśvataspāt |saṃ bāhubhyāṃ dhamati saṃ patatrairdyāvābhūmī janayan deva ekaḥ ||

What was the place whereon he took his station? What was it that supported him? How was it? Whence Visvakarman, seeing all, producing the earth, with mighty power disclosed the heavens.
He who hath eyes on all sides round about him, a mouth on all sides, arms and feet on all sides, He, the Sole God, producing earth and heaven, weldeth them, with his arms as wings, together. (Rig veda 10.81.2-3)

comment : From Visvakarma (Narayana) suktam of Rig veda, these two SNippets clearly mention the following things :

• Narayana is the solo supreme being.
• He is unborn
• He is the nams giver to all Gods
• He produced the universe.

तमस्य राजा वरुणस्तमश्विना करतुं सचन्त मारुतस्य वेधसः |

दाधार दक्षमुत्तममहर्विदं वरजं च विष्णुः सखिवानपोर्णुते || (RV 1.156.4)

The Sovran Varuṇa and both the Aśvins wait on this the will of him who guides the Marut host.

Viṣṇu had the supreme power and might that finds the day, and with his Friend unbars the stable of the kine.

Comment : The Lord is the possessor of the Supreme power. 

There are many many more Such proofs from vedas which Refute the modern Nirakar interpretation. This much is enough to Refute it. 

Correct interpretation

So far it has been obvious that No one is Greater than Lord Narayana, so how to Interpret the mantra? The only way to do so is to use the vyuh form of Lord Narayana. when the shruti says Brahma,it means that the Lord Aniruddha, who is the inner self of Brahma and hence referred to as “Brahma” on account of sāmānādhikaranya. Alternatively, Aniruddha himself is called “Brahma” or the “Great One” who makes everything big, ie, as he is the creator, he expands the non-sentient matter into gross forms and thus is called “Brahma”. Hari here is Pradyumna. Isha here refers to SankarshaNa as he is the lord of all the devatās viz Brahma,shiva. So, the True intent of the verse is :

"Greater than the great(Brahma,Shiva,Indra..) is Aniruddha.Greater than Aniruddha is Pradyumna.Greater than Pradyumna is SankarshaNa.May my mind always resolve with the thoughts related to ParavAsudeva Nārāyana!" (who is denoted by Shivam i.e auspiciousness in Narayana suktam)

This explanation is the same as you find in "Mudgala Upanishad" from which Adi Shankara has quoted a statement in Taittiriya Upanishad bhAShya:

“We shall explain the Purusha-sukta... The glory of Vishnu is given in 'Etavan' (so much is his greatness). The same stanza states his four-fold nature. 'Tripad' etc., speaks of the glory of Aniruddha”.

           Conclusion

There is no being higher than Lord Vishnu, and the Vedas are Sakshaat praman for this statememt. He is the one without a second, he is the solo Lord and the supreme being alone. 

                ||sri SitaRama||

                              ||Jai Hanuman||