Hearing the words of the gods, Janardana—Lord Vishnu—was filled with anger. He declared, “I will slay that wicked demon, the terror of the gods.” With the hosts of the gods accompanying him, the Lord made his way to the city of Chandravati. There, the gods beheld the king of the demons, roaring fiercely again and again. This mighty demon had already vanquished all the gods, forcing them to scatter in fear to the ten directions. But when the demon saw Hari—Vishnu—approaching, he challenged him, crying, “Stop, stop!” The Blessed Lord, his eyes red with wrath, addressed the demon directly: “O evil one, behold my arm!” Thus challenged, the demons who stood before Vishnu were struck down by his celestial arrows, terror overwhelming them. Krishna then hurled his discus into the demon army, and by its power, hundreds were cut down, many meeting their end. Yet, among them was one demon who would not yield—he fought on relentlessly. By his might, all the gods were again defeated, and even Madhusudana—Krishna himself—was overcome. This formidable demon engaged Vishnu in a hand-to-hand battle, a celestial contest that raged for a thousand years. In the end, Vishnu was beset by anxiety, and the gods were lost. Defeated, Vishnu withdrew to the hermitage at Badarika. There, in a cave called Simhavati—twelve yojanas long with but a single entrance—Janardana lay down to rest. As Vishnu slept, exhausted from that great conflict, the demon crept in from behind, intent on killing him. Overcome by the power of yogic illusion, the demon rejoiced at finding Vishnu asleep, thinking, “Now, without doubt, I will slay the terror of the demons.” But as he entered, a wondrous maiden emerged from Vishnu’s own body—a radiant, beautiful, and fortunate goddess, armed with divine weapons. She was born from a portion of Vishnu’s own radiance, endowed with great strength and valor. The king of the demons, Mura, saw her and challenged her to battle. The maiden, skilled in every form of combat, met him in fierce contest. With her thunderous cries, the great demon Mura was reduced to ashes. When the demon had been slain, Vishnu awoke and, seeing his terrible enemy fallen, was filled with wonder. “By whom was this fierce and dreadful foe of mine destroyed?” he asked. The maiden replied, “A most terrible deed has been done by me, out of compassion. The gods, Gandharvas, Yakshas, Nagas, and Rakshasas—even Indra and all others—were conquered and driven from heaven by this demon. I found you asleep, O Hari, as Mura crept upon you from behind.” She continued, “If sleep and old age are removed, I would destroy the three worlds.” Hearing these words, Vishnu addressed her: “He by whom even I was defeated—how could you conquer him?” The maiden, known as Ekadashi, replied, “By your grace, O Lord, I have slain the great demon.” Pleased, the Blessed Lord said, “The sages and gods in all the three worlds rejoice. Tell me, O blessed one, what is in your heart. I will grant it to you, even if it is beyond the reach of the gods.” Ekadashi humbly requested, “If you are pleased with me, O Lord, and if my words are true, then grant me a boon that I hold in my heart. I pray for three wishes, O Lord of the universe.” The Blessed Lord replied, “Truly, truly, I say to you—O virtuous one, I will grant you three wishes. There will be no falsehood here.” Ekadashi then said, “O Lord of gods, let it be so throughout the three worlds and all the four ages. By your grace, let me become the foremost of all sacred places, the remover of obstacles, the goddess who bestows all accomplishments. May those who observe me with devotion, and those who are devoted to you, O Janardana, attain all accomplishments if you are pleased with me, O Lord. Grant that those who fast, keep vigil, or eat but once on my day, receive wealth, righteousness, and liberation.” Vishnu replied, “O auspicious one, all that you have asked shall come to pass. You will grant all desires, O blessed one, and it cannot be otherwise. My devotees, and those devoted in the month of Karttika, will be renowned in all the ages and worlds. I consider you to have great power, you who observe the Ekadashi vow. Those who worship me will attain liberation—of this there is no doubt.” He continued, “The third, eighth, ninth, and fourteenth lunar days, and especially Ekadashi—this day is most dear to Hari. It is more meritorious than all sacred places; truly, there is no doubt. Having granted you this boon of three wishes, Ekadashi, the great vow, became joyful and strong. You destroy the enemy and grant supreme attainment; you remove all obstacles and bestow all desired accomplishments. “O Partha, the auspicious Ekadashi is equal in both lunar fortnights; it is neither bright nor dark, and no distinction should be made. No distinction should be made by those who observe all vows. Whether by day or by night, one who listens with devotion—there is one tithi that occurs in both lunar fortnights: when both the eleventh day is diminished and the thirteenth day is at the end. In the middle, the twelfth day is complete, touching three tithis; that day, dear to Hari, should be observed with a fast, yielding the fruit of a thousand Ekadashi fasts.” Thus, Lord Vishnu established Ekadashi as the most sacred and powerful of vows, bestowing her with the ability to grant all accomplishments, remove obstacles, and confer liberation upon his devotees.