What is Virodha Bhakti?

Question

Once Shiri Krishna described Kansa as his bhakt and named his bhakti as virudha bhakati. What is your idea?

Answer 1

The term virodha means against or opposing. Kansa attained the Supreme Lord Krishna through Bhaya,=fear
Kansa attained mukti through this fear of Krsna. This state HOWEVER MUST BE NATURAL because no one ever attained God by being OFFENCIVE. Moreover this mood that kansa had is not favourable for ones devotion therefore listed as VIRODHA=against
5 different ways to absorb your self and obtain krsna (or one of the five types of liberation- "slokaya sarsti........")


HERE 5 types of absortion are listed from SRI BHAGAVAT PURANA
7.1.30/31

kamad dvesad bhayat snehad yatha bhaktyesvare manah
avesya tad-agham hitva bahavas tad-gatim gatah
gopyah kamad bhayat kamso dvesac caidyadayo nrpah
sambandhad vrsnayah snehad yuyam bhaktya vayam vibho

Many people have attained the Supreme by complete absorption of the mind in devotion through lusty desires (kama), envy (dvesa), fear (bhaya), or affection (sneha), and by giving up the faulty aspects of those sentiments.
The gopis have attained the Supreme by fixing their minds on Krsna through kama; Kamsa by bhaya; Sisupala and other kings by dvesa; the Yadus by family relationships (sambandha); you (the Pandavas) by affection (sneha); and we sages (Narada and other rsis) by bhakti.

Six principles are mentioned here, namely, kama (lust), bhaya (fear), dvesa (envy), sambandha (family relationship), sneha (affection), and bhakti (devotion). Two of these – bhaya (fear) and dvesa (envy) – should not be imitated because they are unfavorable sentiments. Now, there are two kinds of sneha. The first is associated with sakhya-bhava and is included in vaidhi-bhakti. The second kind is related to prema and has no application in the field of sadhana. Therefore, sneha has no place in the practice of raganugasadhana- bhakti.

The words bhaktya vayam (in the sloka 7.1.31) mean that ‘we’ –Narada and other sages – have attained the Supreme by bhakti. The word bhakti here should be understood to mean vaidhi-bhakti, and may refer either to the vaidhi-bhakti practices of the sages such as Narada, or to devotion mixed with jnana. The words tad-gatim gatah mean that many people have attained the Supreme. It is important to have a clear understanding of this sentence. A single ray of sunlight (kirana) and the sun itself are one and the same substance (vastu). Similarly, brahma and Krsna are also one and the same substance; brahma is simply Krsna’s bodily effulgence. The jnani bhaktas merge into that brahma existence, and so do Krsna’s enemies when He has personally killed them. Some of them obtain sarupyabhasa (a semblance of sarupya, or having a form similar to Bhagavan’s) and remain immersed in the bliss of brahma. According to the Brahmanda Purana, they stay in Siddhaloka, the liberated world beyond the material world.

Hope this answers your question

Answer 2

In Hinduism 'namasmarana' or chanting the name of ur favorite diety is a way of bhakti. usually people chant the name of tehir favorite deities out of love and devotion.

In virodha bhakti you are so obsessed with hating the deity (Krishna in case of Kansa) that you cannot forget the deity even for a second and keep on remembering in order to hate.

Whatever the cause of rememberance and name taking(calling) it eventually ends up playing that benevolent form in your mind and hence results in the accumulation of good karma and hence called 'bhakti'.

doesnt it happen all the time that we remember those we hate more (to hate them more)than those whom we love?

Answer 3

well ur ques is too tempting to b resisted.
Jaya and Vijaya were the guards of Vaikuntha n great devotees. they prohibited sanat and his 3 brothers to enter the abode because they were undressed.These four were gyaanis( n God's incarnations too.) so they cursed Jai Vijaya for not letting them entering Vaikuntha. acc to the curse they said tht now u wil hav to take birth on earth for many times. Jai Vijaya pleaded for mercy. so they got a concession that they will have to choose b/w the 2- taking birth as demons thrice or taking birth on earth many many many......................... times(i dont remember the exact figure) .

they chose the former. Lord Narayana promised them that he would come thrice to deliver them in his avtaaras.this was one condition in which they could get freed of the curse. So Lord killed or gave salvation to Jaya n Vijaya thrice.

once he killed Jaya as Hirnakashepu through avtaara of Narsimha, the next time as Raavan through Raama's avtaara. The last time as Kansa thru KRISHNA'S AVTAARA.

Kansa bhakti is called virodhdha bhakti because he remembered Krishna day and night out of fear of death and animosity. but actually he was a great bhakta for whom the Lord descended to earth ie he was one of the main reasons for the three avtaaras

Answer 4

Usually, I don't read answers already recorded, before I answer! But, this time, I read the two answers above: and, enjoyed reading good answers! Jaya-Vijaya had the option of 7 births as devotees, according to one version of the story, or, 3 births as demonic foes of God, on earth, and 3 chances to be given 'moksha' by being killed by the Lord himself, in His avataars ! 'Virodh Bhakti' is a term associated with the demonic foes of God, whose constant thoughts about Him in fear, was also a form of Bhakti leading to 'moksha'! There is a great person (Vivekananda?), who once said that atheists think and talk of God much more than theists, in their efforts to deny God and prove His non-existence: this indeed is Virodh Bhakti! Lord Ganapathy, in particular, may like it very much if you play with Him, 'fight' or quarrel with Him now and then, and treat Him as a buddy: He may put you to the test, before granting His bounties: there is a Reiki text which says you could do Reiki to the Gods, to planets, and to heavenly bodies, as you would, to trees and plants around you and to inanimate objects! In doing that you may generate dialogues, sometimes with quarrel and argument connotations: that also is Virodh Bhakti , seeing that you quickly get back to the love and friendship terms, which is the permanent basis of your relations, like the positive Bhakti!

Answer 5

Panditji,
Pranaams from one Brahmin to another.

Another famous example of Virodha Bhakti is from Ramayana--
Rama was an Avataar of Vishnu, & a Kshatriya; Ravana was great a devotee of Shiva & an erudite Brahmin ( son of Pulastya Rishi). They nurtured ' Virodh Bhakti' for each other.
Ravana did provoke Rama for a confrontation by hijacking Seeta, but left her untouched, though she was in his custody for such a long time . He wanted to attain Moksha @ the hands of this avataar of Vishnu.

On his side, Rama paid respect to Ravana as soon as they came face to face on the battlefield ( before their battle commenced )thus- 'I offer my humble Pranaams to Mahapandit VipraRaj Ravana '. Only thereafter did Rama shoot his first arrow on him.The war then began .
Perhaps U too might have heard this story in childhood from your elders as I had.
Jai Shri Ram.

Answer 6

Ya. Just as Radha's bhakti was madhura (with love) Kansa's was Virodha (with opposition)

My experience...

Ganesha is my favorite. One day when I was in bad trouble, and when nothing was helping, when Ganesha too seemed to watch the fun of my trouble, I told him that If you don't take me out of it, I will come and beat you right in your temple...

Anyway, I am almost finished, so I won't care about what happens to me with it...

That day, Ganesha did not allow me to enter his temple.

I told him," See you are scared of the beating, but you are like Indian politicians who know to take but never to give..."

Yet, to my surprise, the impossible happened and like a miracle, my problem was solved in the midnight.

Next day I went to give him his favorite sweets!

Here too, I had a fight with him as an expression of Bhakti...

Answer 7

Answer by Dr. Rekha Kale has given me support. I fight with God when he takes too long a time to listen to my prayer and my patience has exhausted. I feel we fight with the one whom we love and not with strangers so if that is virodha bhakti let it be. We need God, we love God and we want God in life so I fight to draw his attention if he does not respond to my loving prayer. But whatever I do he keeps me in his fold.

Answer 8

WHEN YOU FIND OUT LET ME KNOW. NOW IM CURIOUS

Answer 9

Is it a drink...

Added later.......only kidding.......I dont know.... just wanted to make someone laugh