I've heard from others that Sri Narayana is The Supreme Deity according to Bhagavata Puran (Srimad Bhagavatam) since it is a Vaishnava Text. Ironically upon reading it I actually found multiple verses proclaiming Shiva Ji as The Supreme Deity, God of Gods: Mahadev and Source of the Universe. Some people told me that idolising either of them is fine since Hara=Hari, that is why both of them are praised own Puranas. Note that I read the version from Gita Press. Some of them are as follows:
Lord Brahmā said: My dear Lord Śiva, I know that you are the controller of the entire material manifestation, the combination father and mother of the cosmic manifestation, and the Supreme Brahman beyond the cosmic manifestation as well. I know you in that way.
~Shrimad Bhagvatam 4.6.42
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My dear Lord Śiva, you create this cosmic manifestation, maintain it, and annihilate it by expansion of your personality, exactly as a spider creates, maintains and winds up its web.
~Shrimad Bhagvatam 4.6.43
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O Lord Śiva, you are self-effulgent and supreme. You create this material world by your personal energy, and you assume the names Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Maheśvara when you act in creation, maintenance and annihilation.
~Shrimad Bhagvatam 8.7.23
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O lord, you are the original source of Vedic literature. You are the original cause of material creation, the life force, the senses, the five elements, the three modes and the mahat-tattva. You are eternal time, determination and the two religious systems called truth [satya] and truthfulness You are the shelter of the syllable om, which consists of three letters a-u-m.
~Shrimad Bhagvatam 8.7.25
But a small group of people added that the reason praying to Shiva is the same as Vishnu not because they are the same but Shiva is an incarnation of Vishnu himself (Implying that Vishnu is superior). If this is the case then why is it said that differentiating between that is equal to a sin? Daksha got the best of it. Please shed light on what is true and what is not.
Thank You!
