Srimad Bhagavatam — Panchama Skandha, Shloka 17
Rāhu, Eclipses, Antarikṣa, and the Seven Subterranean Heavens
Bila-svarga
ततोऽधस्ताद्वितले हरो भगवान् हाटकेश्वर: स्वपार्षदभूतगणावृत: प्रजापतिसर्गोपबृंहणाय भवो भवान्या सह मिथुनीभूत आस्ते यत: प्रवृत्ता सरित्प्रवरा हाटकी नाम भवयोर्वीर्येण यत्र चित्रभानुर्मातरिश्वना समिध्यमान ओजसा पिबति तन्निष्ठ्यूतं हाटकाख्यं सुवर्णं भूषणेनासुरेन्द्रावरोधेषु पुरुषा: सह पुरुषीभिर्धारयन्ति ॥ १७ ॥
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.
Bên dưới Atala là cõi Vitala, nơi Bhagavān Hara (Śiva), được gọi là Hāṭakeśvara—chúa tể các mỏ vàng—ngự cùng các tùy tùng như bọn bhūta và những loài tương tự. Để làm tăng trưởng sự sinh thành, Ngài kết hợp với Bhavānī; từ sự hòa trộn tinh lực của hai vị phát sinh dòng sông thượng hạng tên Hāṭakī. Lửa bùng cháy nhờ gió uống nước sông ấy rồi phun ra, tạo thành vàng gọi là Hāṭaka; các asura ở đó cùng vợ con trang sức bằng vàng ấy và sống rất an vui.
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:
FAQs
This verse states that below the preceding region lies Vitala, where Lord Śiva resides as Hāṭakeśvara, surrounded by his attendants and bhūtas, and that a river called Hāṭakī flows there by the potency of Śiva and Pārvatī.
Śukadeva explains that Śiva (Bhava) remains with Bhavānī in conjugal union for the purpose of expanding the creation associated with the Prajāpatis—highlighting the cosmic function of generating and sustaining progeny within the universe.
The verse shows that immense wealth and ornamentation exist even in non-divine realms; a devotee can take this as a reminder that material opulence is not the goal—true value lies in devotion and God-centered life rather than fascination with riches.