Parivartini Ekadashi

The Brahma Vaivarta Purana explains that “Parivartini” means “turning over.” On this Ekadashi, falling on the Shukla Paksha of Bhadrapada, Lord Vishnu turns from one side to the other during His four-month cosmic sleep (Yoga Nidra) that began on Devashayani Ekadashi. This turning marks the precise midpoint of Chaturmas, the sacred four-month period of intensified spiritual practice.

This Ekadashi is also called Vamana Ekadashi, for it is intimately connected with the story of the Vamana avatara. When the great Daitya king Baliconquered the three worlds through his austerities, Sriman Narayana descended as a diminutive Brahmana boy and asked for just three paces of land. With two strides, Vamana measured the earth and the heavens; with the third, He placed His foot upon Bali's head, pressing him into the netherworld — yet in recognition of Bali's unmatched generosity, the Lord agreed to stand as doorkeeper at Bali's palace for eternity.

The Vamana-Bali episode is profoundly significant in Vishishtadvaita theology. King Bali's willingness to give everything — including his very self — to the Lord is regarded as an act of supreme dana(generosity) that borders on Prapatti. The Lord's response — to become Bali's eternal guardian — demonstrates that Narayana never abandons those who give without reservation.

As the midpoint of Chaturmas, Parivartini Ekadashi also signals the transition from the introspective austerities of the rainy season toward the approaching festival cycle of Navaratri, Deepavali, and ultimately Vaikuntha Ekadashi. The Lord's “turning” is a reminder that the divine always turns toward the devotee.