SB 1.17.7 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

त्वं वा मृणालधवल: पादैर्न्यून: पदा चरन् । वृषरूपेण किं कश्चिद् देवो न: परिखेदयन् ॥ ७ ॥

Verse text

tvaṁ vā mṛṇāla-dhavalaḥ pādair nyūnaḥ padā caran vṛṣa-rūpeṇa kiṁ kaścid devo naḥ parikhedayan

Synonyms

tvam — you ; vā — either ; mṛṇāla — dhavalaḥ — as white as a lotus ; pādaiḥ — of three legs ; nyūnaḥ — being deprived ; padā — on one leg ; caran — moving ; vṛṣa — bull ; rūpeṇa — in the form of ; kim — whether ; kaścit — someone ; devaḥ — demigod ; naḥ — us ; parikhedayan — causing grief .

Translation

Then he [Mahārāja Parīkṣit] asked the bull: Oh, who are you? Are you a bull as white as a white lotus, or are you a demigod? You have lost three of your legs and are moving on only one. Are you some demigod causing us grief in the form of a bull?

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

You are white like a water lily, and move around on one leg without the other legs in the form of a bull. Are you some devatā coming to afflict us by such an appearance?

Purport

At least up to the time of Mahārāja Parīkṣit, no one could imagine the wretched conditions of the cow and the bull. Mahārāja Parīkṣit, therefore, was astonished to see such a horrible scene. He inquired whether the bull was not a demigod assuming such a wretched condition to indicate the future of the cow and the bull.

Commentary (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

“Let that be. I will think of your first offense for a moment.” Thinking in this way the King then inquired from the bull. Are you some devatā who has come to produce lamentation for us? I have not seen such thinness and suffering even in my dreams.