Once upon a time the Earth became filled with gigantic trees that stretched up to the heavens. Later some of the stumps of these trees became petrified and appeared as mountains. Pieces of giant fallen wood became the coal deposits of the earth, and others decayed into oil deposits.
atha niryāya salilāt
pracetasa udanvataḥ
vīkṣyākupyan drumaiś channāṁ
gāṁ gāṁ roddhum ivocchritaiḥ
“Thereafter all the Pracetās emerged from the waters of the sea. They then saw that all the trees on land had grown very tall, as if to obstruct the path to the heavenly planets. These trees had covered the entire surface of the world. At this time the Pracetās became very angry.” – Srimad Bhagavatam 4.30.44
In his purport to this verse, Srila Prabhupada states:
“Indeed, the surface of the world was practically covered by very tall trees. It seemed as though the trees were determined to stop people from going into outer space to reach the heavenly kingdoms. The Pracetās became very angry when they saw the surface of the globe covered in this way. They desired that the land be cleared for crops.”
The process by which these trees were turned to charcoal is also mentioned in the Srimad Bhagavatam:
tato ’gni-mārutau rājann
amuñcan mukhato ruṣā
mahīṁ nirvīrudhaṁ kartuṁ
saṁvartaka ivātyaye
“My dear King, at the time of devastation, Lord Śiva emits fire and air from his mouth out of anger. To make the surface of the earth completely treeless, the Pracetās also emitted fire and air from their mouths.” – Srimad Bhagavatam 4.30.45
bhasmasāt kriyamāṇāṁs tān
drumān vīkṣya pitāmahaḥ
āgataḥ śamayām āsa
putrān barhiṣmato nayaiḥ
“After seeing that all the trees on the surface of the earth were being turned to ashes, Lord Brahmā immediately came to the sons of King Barhiṣmān and pacified them with words of logic.” – Srimad Bhagavatam 4.30.46
What ever conspiracy theory the public has discovered in the last 20 years, Srila Prabhupada has spoken on it 65 years ago before the existence of the internet or mass communications.
Srila Prabhupada was trikalajna (a knower of past, present and future), but he always remained very humble and never admitted to his powers. When it was mentioned to him, he would brush it aside and accept no credit:
D. D. Desai: But Swamiji, you are just trikalajna [knower of past, present and future].
Prabhupada: I’m not trikalajna. My jnana is Bhagavad-gita. That’s all. Neither trikalajna. But what Krsna says, I accept. That’s all. They say, “Swamiji, you have done wonderful.” I do not know what is magic, wonderful. But one thing wonderful I have done, that I have not adulterated on the words of Krsna. That I have not. And therefore the effect is very good. I have not adulterated. I don’t say “Two plus two equal to five” or “three.” I say “four.” Krsna has said. That’s all.
– Ref. VedaBase => Evening Darsana – January 7, 1977, Bombay
The truth is those who have attained the highest perfectional stage are trikalajna, and they know past, present and future. It is in fact an insignificant thing for them.
“Those who have reached the highest perfectional stage of mystic power and can see everything in the past, present and future are called tri-kala-jnas. Similarly, the devotees of the Lord can see everything clearly that is in the revealed scriptures.” – Srila Prabhupada’s purport to Srimad Bhagavatam 3.11.17
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