196
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 6, Ch. 4]
maintainer of all herbs and trees. To appease the anger of the Pra- cetās, Soma spoke as follows.
PURPORT
It is understood from this verse that the predominating deity of the moon is the maintainer of all the trees and plants throughout the universe. It is due to the moonshine that trees and plants grow very luxuriantly. Therefore how can we accept the so-called scientists whose moon expeditions have informed us that there are no trees or vegetation on the moon? Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Thākura says,  somo vṛkṣādhiṣṭhātā sa eva vṛkṣāṇām rājā : Soma, the predominating deity of the moon, is the king of all vegetation. How can we believe that the maintainer of vegetation has no vegetation on his own planet?
TEXT 7
न द्रुमेभ्यो महाभागा दीनेभ्यो द्रोगुमर्हथ । विवर्धयिषवो यूयं प्रजानां पतयः स्मृताः ॥ ७ ॥
na drumebhyo mahā-bhāgā dīnebhyo drogdhum arhatha vivardhayiṣavo yūyam prajānām patayaḥ smṛtāḥ
na —not;  drumebhyaḥ —the trees;  mahā-bhāgāḥ —O greatly fortunate ones;  dīnebhyaḥ —who are very poor;  drogdhum —to burn to ashes;  arhatha —you deserve;  vivardhayiṣavaḥ —desiring to bring about an increase;  yūyam —you;  prajānām —of all living entities who have taken shelter of you;  patayaḥ —the masters or protectors;  smṛtāḥ —known as.
TRANSLATION
O greatly fortunate ones, you should not kill these poor trees by burning them to ashes. Your duty is to wish the citizens [prajās] all prosperity and to act as their protectors.