The Purāna authored by Rishi Vyāsa and narrated by Shri Mārkandeya, like all the other Puranas not only glorify Lakshmi and Nārāyana in their highest sense but also consider Vishnu as its supreme deity.
आपो ह वै इदं सर्वमासीत् ।
तासु चिद्रूपा परा शक्तिरवर्तत ।
सा शक्तिर्महालक्ष्मीर्नारायणस्य हृदये ज्योतिरिव
स्थित्वा स्वेनैव प्रकाशेन जगदिदमसृजत् ।
In the beginning, all this was indeed water. Within those waters there existed Ādi Parāshakti, whose nature is pure Cit. That Shakti was Mahālakṣmī. Residing in the heart of Nārāyaṇa like a radiant light, she, by her own inherent radiance, brought this entire universe into existence.
~Aadishrividyopanishad
In its beginning chapters, Markandeya Purāna makes it clear that all the Puranas narrate the glories of Shri Vishnu:
प्रादुर्भावाः पुराणेषु कथ्यन्ते शार्ड्गधन्विनः ।
अनन्तस्याप्रमेयस्य शङ्खचक्रगदाभृतः॥१९.३३॥
The manifestations of the wielder of the Śārṅga bow, the Infinite and Immeasurable One, who bears the conch, discus, and mace, are narrated in all the Purāṇas.
~Markandeyapurana: 19.32-33
It, aside from narrating about the avataras of Hari(4.51–58), also elaborates the mahima of Hari kirtana(दुष्टे श्रुते तथैवोक्ते कीर्तनीयो जनार्दनः ~51.12) and answers one of the basic questions put forth on Vaishnava theology~
कस्मान्मानुषतां प्राप्तो निर्गुणोऽपि जनार्दनः ।
वासुदेवोऽखिलाधारः सर्वकारणकारणम्॥
Why did Janārdana Vasudeva, the support of all, the cause of all causes, though beyond the guṇas, assume human existence?
~MarkandeyaPurāna: 4.31/1.13
He is repeatedly proclaimed as the supreme being throughout the Purana as in Chapter 1, 4, 8, 59, 19, 18 and etc etc.
Objection: How can you conclude him to be the deity of the Purāna when clearly many other gods are praised in the Purāna?
Response: The Purāna itself proclaims Nārāyana to be residing inside the immanent souls of all us humans as in~
चिन्तयन् परमात्मानमीशं नारायणं हरिम् ।
हृत्कोटरगुहासीनं वासुदेवं सुरेश्वरम् ।
अनादिनिधनं ब्रह्म कृष्णं पीताम्बरं शुभम्॥८.२३०॥
Contemplating the Supreme Self, the Lord Nārāyaṇa, Hari, Vāsudeva, the Lord of the gods, seated in the secret cavity of the heart, the beginningless and endless Brahman, Kṛṣṇa, auspicious and clad in yellow garments, he continued to meditate upon Him.
~Markandeyapurana: 8.230
It also clearly mentions Narayana as the indweller of all the Gods, to whom all their praises belongs to~
एष कूर्मो मया ख्यातो भारते भगवान् विभुः॥५८.७३॥ नारायणो ह्यचिन्त्यात्मा यत्र सर्वं प्रतिष्ठितम् । तत्र देवाः स्थिताः सर्वे प्रतिनक्षत्रसंश्रयाः॥५८.७४॥
This Kūrma, the all-pervading Bhagavān, has been described by me in the Bhārata. For Nārāyaṇa, whose nature is inconceivable, in whom everything is established, all the gods are situated, each abiding in association with its respective lunar mansion.
~Markandeyapurana: 58.73-74
Even for those who are surprised by how Vaishnavas can interpret Mārkandeya Purāna in their favor, the Purāna itself narrates the glory of Vaishnavas~
एतस्य परमं रूपं यश्चिन्तयति मानवः । स सुखी स च संसारात् समुत्तीर्णोऽचिराद्भवेत्॥१९.३४॥ सदैव वैष्णवानाञ्च भक्त्याहं सुलभोऽस्मि भोः । इत्येवं यस्य वै वाचस्तं कथं नाश्रयेज्जनः॥१९.३५॥ अधर्मस्य विनाशाय धर्माचारार्थमेव च । अनादिनिधनो देवः करोति स्थितिपालनम्॥१९.३६॥
Whoever meditates upon the supreme form of this Lord Vishnu, becomes happy, and before long he becomes liberated from saṃsāra. I am always easily accessible to the Vaiṣṇavas through devotion; when such are his words, how could a person not take refuge in Him? The beginningless and endless Lord maintains the order of existence for the destruction of adharma and solely for the practice and observance of dharma.
~Markandeyapurana: 19.34-36
Lakshmi, the wife of Dattatreya(who is Vishnu as per the same Markandeya Purana~ इत्येतत् तस्य माहात्म्यं दत्तात्रेयस्य धीमतः । विष्णोश्चराचरगुरोरनन्तस्य महात्मनः॥ MP 19.32/तुष्टेन विष्णुना जज्ञे दत्तात्रेयो महात्मना । स्वशरीरात् समुत्पाद्य सत्त्वोद्रिक्तो द्विजात्तमः॥ MP 17.6), is both praised and described in the Purāna in the same prakarana~
अनघेयं द्विजश्रेष्ठ जगन्माता न दुष्यते ।
यथांशुमाला सूर्यस्य द्विज-चाण्डालसङ्गिनी॥१८.३२
This woman, O sinless brāhman! is the mother of the world; she is not depraved, even like the sun’s halo of rays, which touches the dvija and the caṇḍāla alike.
~Markandeya Purana: 18.32
भार्याञ्चास्य सुचार्वङ्गीं लक्ष्मीमिन्दुनिभाननाम्॥१८.३९॥नीलोत्पलाभनयनां पीनश्रोणिपयोधराम् ।
गदन्तीं मधुरां भाषां सर्वैर्योषिद्गुणैर्युताम्॥१८.४०॥
And his wife, Lakṣmī, possessed exceedingly beautiful limbs, and her face was like the moon. Her eyes resembled blue lotuses, her hips and breasts were full, she spoke sweetly, and she was endowed with all the qualities of an excellent woman.
~Markandeyapurana: 18.39-40
Lakshmi, herein is praised as the daughter of the ocean~ यच्छत्युदधिसम्भवा(Markandeyapurana: 18.49), thus leaving no room for any other Interpretation regarding her identity.
This very Lakshmi is herself praised in the esteemed Durgasaptashati embedded within the essence of Markandeyapurāna as is clear from this incident.
The Purāna describes Dattatreya taking refuge in his own wife Lakshmi to delude the saints who will then seek his help in deluding the Daityas.
However, the same incident describe Vishnu taking refuge in his Māyā which is thus Lakshmi as per the context~
किं मां मोहयसे देव ! स्वां मायां समुपाश्रितः ।
अनघस्त्वं तथैवेयं देवी सर्वभवारणिः॥१९.७॥
Why do you delude me, O Lord, having taken refuge in Your own Māyā? You are indeed Anagha (the Stainless One), and this Goddess Lakshmi likewise is the source of all worldly existence.
~Markandeyapurana: 19.7
This very same Māyā of Hari appears in form of Mahākali for the killing of Madhu and Kaitabha(तन्नात्र विस्मयः कार्यो योगनिद्रा जगत्पतेः ॥ महामाया हरेश्चैषा तया सम्मोह्यते जगत् ।—श्रीमार्कण्डेयपुराणे 81.41), thus sealing the identity of who Mahākāli Candikā is.
Even Shri Saptashati describes its mūla Goddess being worshipped with Māmsa and madirā. And, as per the very same Markandeya Purāna, Shri Vishnu along with his wife devi Lakshmi are also worshipped with Māmsa and Madira, thereby leaving no doubts on who the Saptashati is dedicated to~
ये च मां पूजयिष्यन्ति गन्धमाल्यादिभिर्नराः । मांसमद्योपहारैश्च मिष्टान्नैश्चाज्यसंयुतैः॥१९.१०॥ लक्ष्मीसमेतं गीतैश्च ब्राह्मणानां तथार्च्चनैः । वाद्यैर्मनोरमैर्वोणा-वेणु-शङ्कादिभिस्तथा॥१९.११॥
And those men who shall worship me with fragrances, garlands, and the like, with offerings of meat and wine, with sweet foods mixed with ghee, together with Lakṣmī, with songs, and likewise with the worship of Brāhmaṇas, and with pleasing musical instruments such as the vīṇā, flute, conch, and others.
~MarkandeyaPurana: 19.10–11
Truly, the Saptashati as described in Jaiminibhārata, is a treatise of the exploits of Shridevi~
Even Nāradapurāna: 1.5.16–17 describes Markandeya worshipping Jagannatha deva and then becoming able to compose a Purānasamhitā.
Shridevi is herself the wife of God of Gods Narayana as per the same Purāna btw~
श्रियञ्च देवदेवस्य पत्नी नारायणास्य या ।
Bhrigu gave birth to Shri who is the wife of the God of Gods Narayana.
(Markandeya Purana: 52.15)
Thus, is Mārkandeya Purāna, filled with exploits of Bhagavān Govinda and Shridevi Rākhumāi.
This, do I end the post as an offering to the revolving electrons around the nucleus of the atoms that are existent in the dust that stuck to Shri Rāma and Mā Ramā’s lotus feet during their incarnation on Earth 🤗🪷💞
~ Ram Lakhan Prasad Sinha (ĀdityāRājSingh/servant of SitaRama)
Those Brāhmaṇas, all of whom were Nandīmukhas, duly celebrated the marriage of Lakshmi and Narayana according to Vedic rites and attained supreme joy. Then, all of them, being wholly devoted to Her, praised Jagadambika, who was seated upon the lap of Vishnu as his beloved, repeatedly seeking Her grace.They extolled Her first with hymns from the Vedas and then again with praises drawn from the Purāṇas. Thus praying, they worshipped Bhavani, the lotus-eyed Goddess, whose face shone like the radiant blossom of the udumbara flower, resplendent with beauty and adorned with a gentle smile.
—Nandi Purana 7.57-60
Hare Rāma, May Shri Rāma bless all of us.
Jai Mā, May Mā bless all of uss.