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Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.24.17

తతోఽధస్తాద్వితలే హరో భగవాన్ హాటకేశ్వర: స్వపార్షదభూతగణావృత: ప్రజాపతిసర్గోపబృంహణాయ భవో భవాన్యా సహ మిథునీభూత ఆస్తే యత: ప్రవృత్తా సరిత్ప్రవరా హాటకీ నామ భవయోర్వీర్యేణ యత్ర చిత్రభానుర్మాతరిశ్వనా సమిధ్యమాన ఓజసా పిబతి తన్నిష్ఠ్యూతం హాటకాఖ్యం సువర్ణం భూషణేనాసురేన్ద్రావరోధేషు పురుషా: సహ పురుషీభిర్ధారయన్తి ॥ ౧౭ ॥
tato ’dhastād vitale haro bhagavān hāṭakeśvaraḥ sva-pārṣada-bhūta-gaṇāvṛtaḥ prajāpati-sargopabṛṁhaṇāya bhavo bhavānyā saha mithunī-bhūta āste yataḥ pravṛttā sarit-pravarā hāṭakī nāma bhavayor vīryeṇa yatra citrabhānur mātariśvanā samidhyamāna ojasā pibati tan niṣṭhyūtaṁ hāṭakākhyaṁ suvarṇaṁ bhūṣaṇenāsurendrāvarodheṣu puruṣāḥ saha puruṣībhir dhārayanti.
[tato ’dhastaad vitale haro bhagavaan haatakeshvarah sva-paarshada-bhoota-ganaavritah prajaapati-sargopabrimhanaaya bhavo bhavaanyaa saha mithunee-bhoota aaste yatah pravrittaa sarit-pravaraa haatakee naama bhavayor veeryena yatra chitrabhaanur maatarishvanaa samidhyamaana ojasaa pibati tan nishthyootam haatakaakhyam suvarnam bhooshanenaasurendraavarodheshu purushaah saha purusheebhir dhaarayanti.]
tataḥ — the planet Atala adhastāt — beneath vitale — on the planet haraḥ — Lord Śiva bhagavān — the most powerful personality hāṭakeśvaraḥ — the master of gold sva-pārṣada — by his own associates bhūta-gaṇa — who are ghostly living beings āvṛtaḥ — surrounded prajāpati-sarga — of the creation of Lord Brahmā upabṛṁhaṇāya — to increase the population bhavaḥ — Lord Śiva bhavānyā saha — with his wife, Bhavānī mithunī-bhūtaḥ — being united in sex āste — remains yataḥ — from that planet (Vitala) pravṛttā — being emanated sarit-pravarā — the great river hāṭakī — Hāṭakī nāma — named bhavayoḥ vīryeṇa — due to the semen and ovum of Lord Śiva and Bhavānī yatra — where citra-bhānuḥ — the fire-god mātariśvanā — by the wind samidhyamānaḥ — being brightly inflamed ojasā — with great strength pibati — drinks tat — that niṣṭhyūtam — spit out with a hissing sound hāṭaka-ākhyam — named Hāṭaka suvarṇam — gold bhūṣaṇena — by different types of ornaments asura-indra — of the great asuras avarodheṣu — in the homes puruṣāḥ — the males saha — with puruṣībhiḥ — their wives and women dhārayanti — wear.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tato ’dhastād vitale haro bhagavān hāṭakeśvaraḥ sva-pārṣada-bhūta-gaṇāvṛtaḥ prajāpati-sargopabṛṁhaṇāya bhavo bhavānyā saha mithunī-bhūta āste yataḥ pravṛttā sarit-pravarā hāṭakī nāma bhavayor vīryeṇa yatra citrabhānur mātariśvanā samidhyamāna ojasā pibati tan niṣṭhyūtaṁ hāṭakākhyaṁ suvarṇaṁ bhūṣaṇenāsurendrāvarodheṣu puruṣāḥ saha puruṣībhir dhārayanti.
tataḥ
the planet Atala
adhastāt
beneath
vitale
on the planet
haraḥ
Lord Śiva
bhagavān
the most powerful personality
hāṭakeśvaraḥ
the master of gold
sva-pārṣada
by his own associates
bhūta-gaṇa
who are ghostly living beings
āvṛtaḥ
surrounded
prajāpati-sarga
of the creation of Lord Brahmā
upabṛṁhaṇāya
to increase the population
bhavaḥ
Lord Śiva
bhavānyā saha
with his wife, Bhavānī
mithunī-bhūtaḥ
being united in sex
āste
remains
yataḥ
from that planet (Vitala)
pravṛttā
being emanated
sarit-pravarā
the great river
hāṭakī
Hāṭakī
nāma
named
bhavayoḥ vīryeṇa
due to the semen and ovum of Lord Śiva and Bhavānī
yatra
where
citra-bhānuḥ
the fire-god
mātariśvanā
by the wind
samidhyamānaḥ
being brightly inflamed
ojasā
with great strength
pibati
drinks
tat
that
niṣṭhyūtam
spit out with a hissing sound
hāṭaka-ākhyam
named Hāṭaka
suvarṇam
gold
bhūṣaṇena
by different types of ornaments
asura-indra
of the great asuras
avarodheṣu
in the homes
puruṣāḥ
the males
saha
with
puruṣībhiḥ
their wives and women
dhārayanti
wear.
The next planet below Atala is Vitala, wherein Lord Śiva, who is known as the master of gold mines, lives with his personal associates, the ghosts and similar living entities. Lord Śiva, as the progenitor, engages in sex with Bhavānī, the progenitress, to produce living entities, and from the mixture of their vital fluid the river named Hāṭakī is generated. When fire, being made to blaze by the wind, drinks of this river and then sizzles and spits it out, it produces gold called Hāṭaka. The demons who live on that planet with their wives decorate themselves with various ornaments made from that gold, and thus they live there very happily.

It appears that when Bhava and Bhavānī, Lord Śiva and his wife, unite sexually, the emulsification of their secretions creates a chemical which when heated by fire can produce gold. It is said that the alchemists of the medieval age tried to prepare gold from base metal, and Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī also states that when bell metal is treated with mercury, it can produce gold. Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī mentions this in regard to the initiation of low-class men to turn them into brāhmaṇas. Sanātana Gosvāmī said:

yathā kāṣcanatāṁ 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 Śrīla 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.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Below Atala, on Vitala, Lord Śiva, who is known as the master of gold mines, lives with his wife, surrounded by his personal associates, the ghosts, for producing progeny. From Vitala a river called Hāṭakī made from their vital energy flows. It is heated by Vāyu and hardened by Agni. The men and their wives wear that gold called Hāṭaka along with their jewel ornaments with great admiration in the houses of the great demons. That gold is heated by Vāyu and hardened (pibati) by Agni. This gold is spit out (niṣṭhyūtam) by Agni, taken from the fire. Or, it has been given up by Śiva and Bhavāṇī. The men wear that gold along with their jewel ornaments with great admiration.
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