Mysterious pastimes in Linga Purana and others

Respected Swamiji,

        Nityananda Gauranga Hare Krishna! Jaya Guru Parampara!

        In the Linga, Shiva and Skanda Puranas, there is a pastime of the Lord which I cannot understand properly. The popular version that is often narrated with variations in the puranans is that Brahma aruges with Lord Visnu on their greatness. Then Lord Shiva appears in the form of his linga which then expands unlimitedly throughout the universe.

         In the Skanda Purana it is said that the linga represents the Union of Shiva with Parvati and that Lord Shiva worshipped in the form of the principle organ of procreation is the form of the Linga. This linga expanded unlimitedly and Brahma and Visnu tried to find its head and foot. Visnu took the form of Varaha while Brahma went up on his swan and lied using false witness that he had seen the head of the linga. Lord Visnu goes down the linga for a thousand years before saying that the linga has no limit and he could not find it.

          It goes on to say that the glories of Lord Shiva were realised by this incident and the day he appeared in the form of the linga came to be known as Shivaratri on which Lord Shiva is worshipped. 

          I cannot understand the pastime at all because why did Lord Visnu behave like that, arguing and fighting with Brahma and then being defeated by Lord Shiva and then accepting the Superior position of Lord Shiva in the Shaiva Purana?. How can I reconcile this one with the incident where the same Lord Shiva acts as the greatest Vaisnava (Srimad Bhagavatam). Here the same Lord Shiva who manifested an unlimited form was bewildered by Mohini murti and he realised Vishnu's transcendental position.

           I understand by reading the Brahma Samhita that Lord Shiva is the expansion of the Lord directly involved in contact with material nature and by the union of Sambhu with Maya, Mayadevi creates successively the mundane ego (ahańkāra), the five mundane elements (bhūtas) viz., space etc., their attributes (tan-mātras) and the limited senses of the conditioned soul (jīva).

           Since Lord Shiva is an expansion of Lord Visnu, is that the reason why he can manifest an unlimited form?

Doubtful,

Srinath

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