Text 5]
The Haṁsa-guhya Prayers
193
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca—Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; yadā—when; pra- cetasaḥ—the Pracetās; putrāḥ—the sons; daśa—ten; prācīna- barhiṣaḥ—of King Prācīnabarhi; antaḥ-samudrāt—from within the ocean; unmagnāḥ—emerged; dadrśuḥ—they saw; gām—the entire planet; drumaiḥ vṛtām—covered with trees.
TRANSLATION
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: When the ten sons of Prācīnabarhi emerged from the waters, in which they were performing austerities, they saw that the entire surface of the world was covered by trees.
PURPORT
When King Prācīnabarhi was performing Vedic rituals in which the killing of animals was recommended, Nārada Muni, out of compassion, advised him to stop. Prācīnabarhi understood Nārada properly and then left the kingdom to perform austerities in the forest. His ten sons, however, were performing austerities within the water, and therefore there was no king to see to the management of the world. When the ten sons, the Pracetās, came out of the water, they saw that the earth was overrun with trees.
When the government neglects agriculture, which is necessary for the production of food, the land becomes covered with unnecessary trees. Of course, many trees are useful because they produce fruits and flowers, but many other trees are unnecessary. They could be used as fuel and the land cleared and used for agriculture. When the government is negligent, less grain is produced. As stated in  Bhagavad-gītā  (18.44),  kṛṣi-gorakṣya-vāṇiyam vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam : the proper engagements for  vaiśyas , according to their nature, are to farm and to protect cows. The duty of the government and the  kṣatriyas  is to see that the members of the third class, the  vaiśyas , who are neither  brāhmaṇas  nor  kṣatriyas , are thus properly engaged.  Kṣatriyas  are meant to protect human beings, whereas  vaiśyas  are meant to protect useful animals, especially cows.
TEXT 5
द्रुमेभ्यः क्रुध्यमानास्ते तपोदीपितमन्यवः ।
मुखतो वायुमग्निं च समृजुस्तद्दिश्या ॥ ५ ॥