Lord Brahma and Adhiti - 19th Century Illustration

According to '' Bhāgavata Purāṇa'', Payovrata is the '' vrata'' ("penance") observed by

goddess A goddess is a female deity. In many known cultures, goddesses are often linked with literal or metaphorical pregnancy or imagined feminine roles associated with how women and girls are perceived or expected to behave. This includes themes of s ...

Aditi (अदिति) to propitiate Lord Vishnu.

Ritual

It is usually observed for 12 days, and during that time the devotee subsists on a diet of milk alone.

Mythology

A notable event is that of Sage Kashyapa who asked his wife, Aditi, to use this method to please Vishnu (

Narayana Narayana (Sanskrit: नारायण, IAST: ''Nārāyaṇa'') is one of the forms and names of Vishnu, who is in yogic slumber under the celestial waters, referring to the masculine principle. He is also known as Purushottama, and is consi ...

) so that a solution could be found for her son who was defeated by the Asuras. This

penance Penance is any act or a set of actions done out of Repentance (theology), repentance for Christian views on sin, sins committed, as well as an alternate name for the Catholic Church, Catholic, Lutheran, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox s ...

finally resulted in Vamana sending Mahabali to the netherworld.

References

{{DISPLAYTITLE:''Payovrata'' Vaishnavism Vrata