Parivartinī Ekādaśī 2019

On this Ekadashi of Bhadrapada Shukla, the sleeping Lord Vishnu turns from one side to the other on Adi Shesha, which gives the day its name Parivartini, the turning. It is also honoured as a day of Vāmana.

Sri Krishna told Yudhishthira how the asura king Bali, a great devotee and giver, had conquered the three worlds. To restore them to Indra, Vishnu came to Bali's sacrifice as the dwarf brahmana Vamana and asked for three steps of land. Bali gladly agreed. Vamana grew to a cosmic form, covered the earth and the heavens with two steps, and Bali offered his own head for the third.

Pleased by Bali's surrender, the Lord sent him to rule the nether world and promised to remain near him. Keeping this fast and worshipping Vamana is said to bring the merit of a thousand ashvamedha sacrifices.