Parsva Parivartana Ekadasi -Vamana Ekadasi-Sep 18th
Tomorrow is Bhadrapada Shukla Parivartana Ekadasi with the Nakshatra being Uttarashada for the whole day. This pious day is also known by the name of Vamana Ekadasi. Sunday Sep 19th will be the day for Vamana Jayanti or Vamana Dwadasi. This marks the advent of Lord Vishnu as Vamana to subdue the ego of the demon king Bali .This Ekadasi is capable of removing many of the sins committed in the process of procuring and eating food and is hence also called Jayanti Ekadasi ( that which grants victory over sins ) . It does not mean one is encouraged to commit mistakes for the rest of the year and just fast on this day. One is in fact encouraged to maintain the same spiritual attitude throughout the year .
The name Parivartana Ekadasi comes from a coded meaning of the seasons . Lord Vishnu during the Dakshinayana period ( please refer to Dakshinayana Sankramanam post ) is said to go to sleep on Adisesha. This commences from Ashada Ekadasi and he turns to the other side on Parivartana Ekadasi ( Parivartana has many meanings and it means change of the seasons and also means Lord Vishnu turning to the other side ) . Lord Vishnu is said to wake up on Uttana Ekadasi during the Uttarayana Punya Kala which marks the arrival of spring .With the arrival of spring it marks the end of hibernation for many wild animals and is generally the time for fun and frolic in nature. The winter months are time of resting and Lord Vishnu playing the role of the Sustainer of the Universe is depicted in the story form to have taken rest during this period.
However the main event associated with this Ekadasi is the Fifth Incarnation of Lord Vishnu in the form of Vamana.This Incarnation took place during the Treta yuga .
I will do a separate post on Trivikrama ( Lord Vishnu as Vamana ) . The important thing to remember is to fast on Ekadashi to derive the maximum benefit of the day .Reasons to why we fast can be found in this post on the blog
Ekadasi is the day of the 11th tithi of the moon. Usually this is a day recommended for fasting . The reasons are many for this tradition. Modern science reveals that giving a day of rest to your digestion system not only improves your health but also detoxifies your body. Since two Ekadasis occur in a lunar month giving rest to your system has its own benefits. I will do a detailed writeup on fasting sometime later. Also why choose only Ekadasi for this fasting. In swara yoga the phases of the moon correspond to the movement of the mind
Lord Vishnu reclining on AdiSesha -Deogarh Temple
