Prabhupāda: There are also sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa is working throughout the universe. (break) ...was attempt to manufacture gold by combination of metals. They are not doing that?
Jayatīrtha: No, I don't think they're doing that.
Prabhupāda: Why?
Jayatīrtha: They think that that's foolishness. They think that it's a legendary thing.
Sudāmā: Alchemy is not looked upon as very intelligent.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Scientific.
Sudāmā: They've replaced it now with science, higher truth of science.
Prabhupāda: No, it is not legend. If you can mix copper, tin and mercury—this is stated in the śāstra—you can make gold. It is not legend. The particular metals to be combined, that is stated: copper, tin and mercury. You mix, and there will be gold.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Why aren't they doing it?
Prabhupāda: Because they do not know the process.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: No, but some Vedic people, some men who know the Vedas. In India they know.
Prabhupāda: No. They make gold, some of the yogis.
Brahmānanda: Yogis. You once said they swallow some mercury and then they...
Prabhupāda: Yes. They swallow mercury overnight, and they pass urine on the copper, and then the copper is put into the fire. It becomes gold. There is same combination, mercury, copper.
Paramahaṁsa: The only difficulty is that mercury is certain death if you eat it.
Prabhupāda: So therefore you must know how to eat. (laughter)
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: But why don't they... I'm sure the scientists could figure out an easier way than having to swallow it.
Prabhupāda: But in Kaviraji, they make some medicine which is gold added by this process, makaradhvaja. Makaradhvaja, the medicine which is combination of tin and mercury, and it looks like gold.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So we could become rich if we do this, our movement.
Prabhupāda: Yes, everyone will do, and there will be no rich men.
Paramahaṁsa: Is it tin and copper?
Brahmānanda: Tin, copper and mercury.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So you can try. You are...
Paramahaṁsa: That's brass. That's the constituents of brass.
Prabhupāda: Tin and copper?
Paramahaṁsa: Like bell metal.
Prabhupāda: Yes. And add mercury.
Paramahaṁsa: Is first the metals mixed together?
Prabhupāda: I do not know that. (laughter)
Paramahaṁsa: I'll give you all the profits.
Prabhupāda: I can give you suggestion. This example is given by Sanātana Gosvāmī.
- yathā kāñcanatāṁ yāti
- kaṁsyaṁ rāsa-vidhānataḥ
- tathā dīkṣā-vidhānena
- dvijatvaṁ jāyate nṛnāṁ
This is the definition, that "As kaṁsya, the bell metal, by manipulating with mercury, it becomes gold, similarly, a person by the process of dīkṣā, initiation, be becomes a brāhmaṇa. This is the example he has given. Yathā kāñcanataṁ yāti. Kāñcanatam means gold. Rāsa-vidhānataḥ, by process of mercury manipulation. Why he has not taken other metal? This is in the śāstra. And the scientists—I do not know—they say that some, what is called, molecules? Some molecules added with mercury, it can be turned into gold.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: I don't know why they don't do it.
Paramahaṁsa: They are experimenting.
Prabhupāda: They have not come to success. So why not make experiment in the laboratory?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. We should do it.
Jayatīrtha: Perhaps Svarūpa Dāmodara can do it. Svarūpa Dāmodara is a chemist.
Paramahaṁsa: I have a lot of tin and brass.
Prabhupāda: Brass you have got?
Paramahaṁsa: Would you like?
Prabhupāda: No, you add mercury, then give. The kāvirājī medicines, they mix mercury and sulphur, and then tin, and some other medicine, that make makaradhvaja, and it looks like gold. Svarṇa-sindhura, the name is svarṇa-sindhura, "vermillion of gold." That is a medicine. It looks like gold.