FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.17.2

వృషం మృణాలధవలం మేహన్తమివ బిభ్యతమ్ । వేపమానం పదైకేన సీదన్తం శూద్రతాడితమ్ ॥ ౨ ॥
vṛṣaṁ mṛṇāla-dhavalaṁ
[vrisham mrinaala-dhavalam]
mehantam iva bibhyatam
[mehantam iva bibhyatam]
vepamānaṁ padaikena
[vepamaanam padaikena]
sīdantaṁ śūdra-tāḍitam
[seedantam shoodra-taaditam]
vṛṣam — the bull mṛṇāla-dhavalam — as white as a white lotus mehantam — urinating iva — as if bibhyatam — being too afraid vepamānam — trembling padā ekena — standing on only one leg sīdantam — terrified śūdra-tāḍitam — being beaten by a śūdra..
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
vṛṣaṁ mṛṇāla-dhavalaṁ
vṛṣam
the bull
mṛṇāla-dhavalam
as white as a white lotus
mehantam iva bibhyatam
mehantam
urinating
iva
as if
bibhyatam
being too afraid
vepamānaṁ padaikena
vepamānam
trembling
padā ekena
standing on only one leg
sīdantaṁ śūdra-tāḍitam
sīdantam
terrified
śūdra-tāḍitam
being beaten by a śūdra..
The bull was as white as a white lotus flower. He was terrified of the śūdra who was beating him, and he was so afraid that he was standing on one leg, trembling and urinating.

The next symptom of the Age of Kali is that principles of religion, which are all spotlessly white, like the white lotus flower, will be attacked by the uncultured śūdra population of the age. They may be descendants of brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya forefathers, but in the Age of Kali, for want of sufficient education and culture of Vedic wisdom, such a śūdra- like population will defy the principles of religion, and persons who are religiously endowed will be terrified by such men. They will declare themselves as adherents of no religious principles, and many “isms” and cults will spring up in Kali-yuga only to kill the spotless bull of religion. The state will be declared to be secular, or without any particular principle of religion, and as a result there will be total indifference to the principles of religion. The citizens will be free to act as they like, without respect for sādhu, śāstra and guru. The bull standing on one leg indicates that the principles of religion are gradually diminishing. Even the fragmental existence of religious principles will be embarrassed by so many obstacles as if in the trembling condition of falling down at any time.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
The śūdra was beating the bull, white like a water lily, fearful, trembling, weak and standing on one leg, who appeared to be urinating.
Commentary

Mehantam iva means “as if urinating.” This means that Dharma, standing on one leg, was at every moment flowing away. It is a metaphor to express a perishing condition. Trembling of the bull indicated that the bull did not create an opposition to the actions of Kali.

📝 My note

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