Text 18]
The Subterranean Heavenly Planets
389
initiation of low-class men to turn them into  brāhmaṇas . Sanātana Gosvāmī said:
yathā kāñcanatāṁ yāti kāṁsyaṁ rasa-vidhānataḥ tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena dvijatvaṁ jāyate nṛṇām
“As one can transform  kaṁsa , or bell metal, into gold by treating it with mercury, one can also turn a lowborn man into a  brāhmaṇa  by initiating him properly into Vaiṣṇava activities.” The International Society for Krishna Consciousness is trying to turn  mlecchas  and  yavanas  into real  brāhmaṇas  by properly initiating them and stopping them from engaging in meat-eating, intoxication, illicit sex and gambling. One who stops these four principles of sinful activity and chants the Hare Kṛṣṇa  mahā-mantra  can certainly become a pure  brāhmaṇa  through the process of bona fide initiation, as suggested by Śrila Sanātana Gosvāmī.
Apart from this, if one takes a hint from this verse and learns how to mix mercury with bell metal by properly heating and melting them, one can get gold very cheaply. The alchemists of the medieval age tried to manufacture gold, but they were unsuccessful, perhaps because they did not follow the right instructions.
TEXT 18
ततोऽधस्तात्सुतले उदारश्रवाः पुण्यश्लोको विरोचनात्मजो बलिर्भगवता महेन्द्रस्य प्रियं चिक्रार्षमाणेनादितेर्लब्धकायो भूत्वा वट्टवामनरूपेण पराक्षिमलोकत्रयो भगवदनुकम्पयैव पुनः प्रवेशित इन्द्रादिष्वविद्यमानया सुसमृद्धया श्रियाभिजुष्टः स्वधर्मेणाराधयंस्तमेव भगवन्तमाराधनीयमपगतसाध्वस आस्तेऽधुनापि ॥१८॥
tato 'dhastāt sutale udāra-śravāḥ puṇya-śloko virocanātmajo balir bhagavatā mahendrasya priyaṁ cikīrṣamāṇenāditer labdha-kāyo bhūtvā vaṭu-vāmana-rūpeṇa parākṣipta-loka-trayo bhagavad- anukampayaiva punaḥ praveśita indrādiṣv avidyamānayā