Text 18] The Subterranean Heavenly Planets 389
initiation of low-class men to turn them into bradhmanas. Sanatana
Gosvami said:
yatha kdricanatam yati
kdmsyam rasa-vidhadnatah
tatha diksd-vidhanena
dvyatvam jdyate nrndm
“As one can transform kamsa, or bell metal, into gold by treating it with
mercury, one can also turn a lowborn man into a brahmana by initiating
him properly into Vaisnava activities.” The International Society for
Krishna Consciousness is trying to turn mlecchas and yavanas into real
brahmanas by properly initiating them and stopping them from engag-
ing in meat-eating, intoxication, illicit sex and gambling. One who stops
these four principles of sinful activity and chants the Hare Krsna maha-
mantra can certainly become a pure brahmana through the process of
bona fide initiation, as suggested by Srila Sandtana Gosvami.

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
AMSTATGAS = SAAT: waa fattest
S ° i _ iS ~
qn were ft 6 fatraninitacorei wat
~ 4
TAMAS IT qaqa =| -aMeReTT ga: waa
sahara aaa Prfige: arineriaa
tas
WTAE TATA TATA ATA AAS TANT 18 CI

tato ‘dhastat sutale udara-sravah punya-sloko virocanatmajo balir
bhagavata mahendrasya priyam cikirsamanendditer labdha-kayo
bhitva vatu-vamana-ripena paraksipta-loka-trayo bhagavad-
anukampayaiva punah pravesita indradisv avidyamanaya
