Thread by @DefiledGod

In shAnti parva of MB, nara and nArAyaNa relate a story to nArada, of how varAha, after rescuing bhU-devI, established the ritual for propitiating the pitR-s.

In doing so, varAha also proclaimed that he alone is worshipped by these rituals+

The words of bhagavAn are quite beautiful. These statements serve as the upabrahmaNa for the vR^iShAkapi sUkta in Rg Veda. Quoting:

वृषाकपिरुवाच। अहं हि पितरः स्रष्टुमुद्यतो लोककृत्स्वयम्…पिता पितामहश्चैव तथैव प्रपितामहः । अहमेवात्र विज्ञेयस्त्रिषु पिण्डेषु संस्थितः+

[vR^iShAkapi said: I, who am the creator of the Universe, have resolved to create the pitR-s….  I am the father, grandfather and the great-grandfather. Know me to be situated in these piNDa-s.]+

By saying he is the father, grandfather and great-grandfather, he means that he is their self and they are his bodies. This is sAmAnAdhikaraNya.

He is thus in the piNDa-s offered for them – he is the offering and the object of worship, everything being his bodies+

Next, he declares that on account of being the self of all, there is no higher object of worship other than him,

नास्ति मत्तोऽधिकः कश्चित्को वान्योर्च्यो मया स्वयं । अहमेव पिता लोके अहमेव पितामहः । पितामहपिता चैव अहमेवात्र कारणम् ।+

[There is none else who is superior to me (as I am the self). Who is there whom I may myself worship (other than myself)? I am indeed brahmA, the father, in the Universe. I am indeed the father of brahmA. I am the Cause, being indeed the father of brahmA and brahmA himself.]+

नास्ति मत्तोऽधिकः - This is an upabrahmaNa for the vR^iShAkapi sUkta which ends with the refrain “विश्वस्मादिन्द्रौत्तरः” where Indra denotes bhagavAn.

He is brahmA, means, he has brahmA as his body. By this, he declares himself as jagadkAraNa+

इत्येतदुक्त्वा वचनं देवदेवो वृषाकपिः । वराहपर्वते विप्र दत्त्वा पिण्डान्सविस्तरान् । आत्मानं पूजयित्वैव तत्रैवादर्शनं गतः

[nArada! Speaking thus, that god of gods, vR^iShAkapi, offered piNDa-s on the peak of varAha mountain. After worshipping himself, he disappeared.]+

Which other avatAra openly declared his supremacy and asked devotees to worship him? kR^iShNa, during the govardhana-pUja. Hence, the connection between these avatArAs is again seen here.

Will conclude with another shloka from shAnti parva, which is quoted by all Acharyas+

ये यजन्ति पित्र्न् देवान् ब्राह्मणान् सहुताषनान् सर्वभूतान्तरात्मानम् विश्णुम् एव यजन्ति

[Those who worship the pitRs, the gods, the brAhmaNAs, or the fires, in truth only worship vishNu, who is the inner self of all beings]//