The simple answer is animal and plant (trees) killing by humans. This is revenge from nature.

Life is an intelligent design, nothing happens by chance. This is the law of Karma. For every action we take, we will face a reaction. Nobody can get away with any wrong doing. Today or tomorrow or next life, the criminals will be caught and punished.

Why in India?

The Indians including Hindus are also killing the animals and trees, thus they must also suffer.

Why Temples?

The Temples will also be affected by the virus and suffer, because so many trees have been destroyed to build the Temples and they have neglected to guide society to stop killing trees. Building Temples is good, but any trees that are destroyed must be replaced and some original trees must be kept.

“The devotee should more fully establish My Deity by solidly constructing a temple, along with beautiful gardens. These gardens should be set aside to provide flowers for the regular daily worship, special Deity processions and holiday observances.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.27.50)

It is very unfortunate that now days Temples are built and the plant life is destroyed (trees, fruit, and flowers bearing plants). 

Even if we have a temple in our home, we must also have a garden with at least some flower bearing plants as minimum. It’s ideal to also have many trees. This is because the Deity (God) likes to reside in a natural environment setting, and not barren desert or cement setting.

Why Devotees?

Bhakti (devotional service to God) also includes being nice to nature by caring for it and not destroying it. Bhakti is NOT ‘God God God and the hell with the rest’. Nature is God’s energy, and thus we must care for it.

In holy places like Vrindavan, it’s devotees who have bought land to destroy trees and build Ashrams and apartments. Vrindavan means ‘a place full of Tulsi plants’, but the devotees have made it ‘a place full of cement’. In Vrindavan, there are already too many Ashrams, there is no need for more cement, there is a serious need for raw land with trees and especially Tulsi plants. 

Advice to Devotees: Buy land and keep it raw with only trees. No cement. This needs to be done everywhere.

All living beings belong to God, not just the humans.

“And when you have thus learned the truth, you will know that all living beings are but part of Me—and that they are in Me, and are Mine.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-Gita 4.35)

The order of God is that we have to be kind to all living beings, this means kind to the animals, plants, and humans. When we kill or hurt any living being, we will be punished. There is justice for all living beings.

“nonviolence, compassion for all living entities… – these transcendental qualities, O son of Bharata, belong to godly men endowed with divine nature.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-Gita 16.1-3)

“One who is not envious but who is a kind friend to all living entities… – he is very dear to Me.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-Gita 12.13-14)

Some people don’t believe in Karma and reincarnation. One example will help such people to better understand.

  1. If someone is very religious throughout life but somehow kills another person just before dying. What will happen to him? Will he go to hell and suffer eternally or go to heaven and enjoy eternally or take birth again and be punished for the murder?

a. If he goes to hell and suffers eternally, then his effort in life to be religious was wasted and also God cannot be called merciful, forgiving, loving, nor just. He got no benefit for being good in his life.

b. If he goes to heaven and enjoys eternally, then he got away with murder. What about justice for the person he killed? God cannot be called just.

c. He takes birth again and suffers to some degree for the murder he committed. If he is again religious in life and does not kill again, then at the end of life he will be free from bills (no karma) and he will go back to the spiritual manifestation to live eternally in complete bliss. In this way, God is merciful, loving, forgiving, and there is justice.

Conclusion

STOP killing animals and trees.