Rig Veda 1.156.

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॥

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.
eighth mantra of Kaivalya Upanishad.

स ब्रह्मा स शिवः सेन्द्रः सोऽक्षरः परमः स्वराट् । स एव विष्णुः स प्राणः स कालोऽग्निः स चन्द्रमाः॥८॥

He is Brahma, he is Siva, he is Indra. He is the imperishable, supreme self

illumined Lord. He alone is Vishnu. He is the life giving breath. He is time, he is
fire, and also the moon.
एको ह वै नारायण आसीन्न ब्रह्मा नेशानो नापो नाग्नीषोमौ नेमे द्यावापृथिवी न नक्षत्राणि न सूर्यो न चन्द्रमाः ।

“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.”

-Maha Upanishad, Mantra 1

eko ha vai nārāyaṇa āsīn na brahmā na ca śaṅkaraḥ | sa munirbhūtvā samacintayat |

tata ete vyajāyanta | vishve hirańyagarbho agniryamo varuńaviśhńūrudrendrāh ||

"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

अ ध पु रु षो ह वै ना रा य णो अ का म य थ । प्र जा स्रु जे ये ति । ना रा य णा थ प्र नो ज य थे । म न स र्वे न्द्रि या नि च खं वा यु र् ज् यो ति र पा पृ थ् वी

वि श् वस् य धा रि णी । ना रा य णा थ ब्र ह्म ज य थे । ना रा य णा थ रु द्र ज य थे । ना रा य णा थ इ न्द्रो ज य थे । ना रा य णा थ प्र जा प ति प्र ज य थे । ना रा य णा थ
द्वा द स आ धि थ् या रु द्र वा स व स र्वा णी च न्द म सी ना रा य ण दे व स मु द् प द्यां थे । ना रा य णा थ प्र व र्त न्ते । ना रा य णे प्र ले य न्ते । ई ठ थ ऋ ग् वे द
सिरो आदिथे। (Narayan Upanishad Verse 1)
Narayana desired to create people. Because of this thought, Soul (prana) rose from
him. Mind and all body parts, sky, air, light, water and the earth which can carry
all these created beings took their form. From Narayana, Brahma was born. From
Narayana, Rudra was born. From Narayana, Indra was born .From Narayana those people
who rule these human beings were born. From Narayana, the twelve suns, eleven
Rudras, Eight Vasus and all those meters (for writing) were born. All these
function because of Narayana. All these end in Narayana. Thus is read, the
Upanishads of Rig Veda.

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

शा र्ङ्ग ध न्वा हृ षी के शः पु रु षः पु रु षो त्त मः || ६-११७-१५

अ जि तः ख ड् ग धृ ग्वि ष्णुः कृ ष्ण श् चैव म हा ब लः | Valmiki Ramayana Yuddha Kanda Chapter [Sarga] 117
Verse 15
"You are the wielder of a bow called Sarnga, the lord of the senses, the supreme
soul of the universe, the best of men, the invincible, the wielder of a sword named
Nandaka, the all-pervader, the bestower of happiness to the earth and endowed with
great might."

त्वं य ज्ञ् स् त्वं व ष ट् का र स् त्व मों का रः प रा त्प रः || ६-११७-२०

प्र भ वं नि ध नं वा ते नो वि दुः को भ वा नि ति | Valmiki Ramayana Yuddha Kanda Chapter [Sarga] 117
Verse 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."

सर्वान् लोकान् सुसम्हृत्य सभूतान् सचराचरान् || ५-५१-३९

पु न रे व त था स्र ष्टु म् श क्तो रा मो म हा य शाः | Valmiki Ramayana Sundarakanda Sarga 51 Verse 39
"The renowned Rama is capable of totally destroying all the worlds together with
its five elements, along with its animate and inanimate things and also to create
yet again all the worlds in like manner as before."

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.

pra vishNavE SUshamEtu manma girikshita urugAyAya vrushNE |

ya idam dIrgham prayatam sadhasthamEkO vimmaE tribhiritpadEbhi: || Rg Veda manthram
I.154.3
"To Him alone, who has created this entire extensive universe with three components
(micro, macro and ultra-micro), and who is the showerer of bliss, the upholder of
clouds, and the One glorified by ALL, are dedicated our learning and endeavours"
प॒ रो मा त्र॑ या त॒ न्वा॑ वृ धा न॒ न ते॑ म हि॒ त्व म न्व॑ श् नुव न्ति ।
उ॒भे ते॑ विद्म॒ रज॑सी पृथि॒व्या विष्णो॑ देव॒ त्वं प॑र॒मस्य॑ वित्से ॥ Rigveda 7.99.1
"Expanding with a body beyond all measure, Viṣṇu men comprehend not your magnitude;
we know these your two worlds (computing) from the earth, but you, divine Viṣṇu,
are cognisant of the highest."

vichakramE pruthvImEsha yEtAm kshEtrAya vishNurmanushE dasasyan |

dhruvAsO asya kIrayO janAsa: urukshithigum sujanimA-cakAra || Rg Vedam 7.100.4
With an object of giving a home to every man, the allpervading Lord (VishNu)
traverses the earth in one mighty step. In His benevolence, the humble people
repose their confidence for safety. He,
who is the noble progenitor, has made spacious dwelling (for His people)”. Those
people who eulogize Him out of gratefulness for His dayA live blessed lives here.

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."

trINi padA vicakramE vishNurgOpA adAbhya: |

tatO dharmANi dhArayan ||-- Rg Vedam: I.22.18
“The Omnipresent Lord, the preserver of the indomitable, created all the three
regions, Earth, the mid-region and the celestial. He sustains and preserves the
sanctity of all vital functions that keep life pulsating”.

Aitareya Brahmana 1.1.1 –

agnirvai devanamavamo vishnuh paramah tadantara sarva devatah
“Agni is the lowest and Vishnu is the highest among devas. All other gods occupy
positions that are in between.”

Taittiriya Samhita 5.5.1 –

aniravamo devatAnAM viShNuH paramaH
Vishnu is the supreme amongst devatas.

सर्वभूतस्थमेकं॑ नारा॒यणम् । कारणरूपमकार प॑रब्र॒ह्मोम् ।

The son of Devaki is Brahmanya. Madhusudana is Brahmanya. Naaraayana who pervades
all elements, who is only One, who is the causal Purusha and who is causeless, is
Para Brahman.
-Naaraayana Upanishad, Khanda 4

स एष सर्वभूतान्तरात्मापहतपाप्मा दिव्यो देव एको नारायणः ॥

He is the Inner Aatma of all entities, the remover of all sins and the Divine Deva,
the one Naaraayana.
-Subaala Upanishad, Khanda 7

yastu te so'grato yāti yuddhe saṃpratyupasthite |

taṃ viddhi rudraṃ kaunteya devadevaṃ kapardinam || 69 || Mahabharat 12.330.69
“Under my protection, you have won a great victory in Battle. Know, O Son of Kunti,
that he whom you saw going before you in battle was none other than Rudra also
known as Devadeva and Kapardin. They say he is Kala (time or reckoner of death for
souls), Born of my Wrath. Those foes you have slain were, in fact slain by him.
Hence adore with a controlled mind, that Umapati, Devadeva, of immeasurable
greatness, Maheswara, the Changeless (in yoga).”

tatra yaḥ paramātmā hi sa nityaṃ nirguṇaḥ smṛtaḥ |

sa hi nārāyaṇo jñeyaḥ sarvātmā puruṣo hi saḥ |
na lipyate phalaiścāpi padmapatramivāmbhasā || 14 || Mahabharat 12.339.14
'The truth is that He who is the Supreme Soul is always devoid of Rajas and Tamas
(nirguNa). He is nArAyaNa. He is the universal soul, and he is the one Purusha.'

ना रा य णः प रं ब्र ह्म त त्वं ना रा य णः प रः ।

सौ त स् मा न्ना स्ति प रा त्प रः ॥ Mahabharat 13-186-9 ॥
प रा द पि प र श् चा
Naarayaana is the Supreme Brahman, the Highest Tattva is Naaraayana. He is Higher
than the Highest. Hence, there is nothing Higher than the Highest.

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.”

Satpath Brahmana 14.1.1.5:

tadviṣṇuḥ prathamaḥ prāpa sa devānāṃ śreṣṭho’bhavattasmādāhurviṣṇurdevānāṃ śreṣṭha
Vishnu as the best and the foremost (sresta) among all the gods.