258. Sri-Caitanya-caritamrta
TRANSLATION

Acaryaratna was also named Sri Candrasekhara Acarya. In a drama in his house,

Lord Caitanya played the goddess of fortune.
PURPORT

Dramatic performances were also enacted during the presence of Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu, but the players who took part in such dramas were all pure devotees;
no outsiders were allowed. The members of ISKCON should follow this example.
Whenever they stage dramatic performances about the lives of Sri Caitanya Maha-
prabhu or Lord Krsna, the players must be pure devotees. Professional players and
dramatic actors have no sense of devotional service, and therefore although they
can perform very artistically, there is no life in such performances. Srila Bhakti-
siddhanta Sarasvati Thakura used to refer to such an actor as yatra-dale narada,,
which means “farcical Narada.’’ Sometimes an actor in a drama plays the part of
Narada Muni, although in his private life he is not at all like Narada Muni because
he is not a devotee. Such actors are not needed in dramatic performances about the
lives of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Lord Krsna.

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu used to perform dramas with Advaita Prabhu, Srivasa
Thakura and other devotees in the house of Candrasekhara. The place where Candra-
sekhara’s house was situated is now known as Vrajapattana. Srila Bhaktisiddhanta
Sarasvati Thakura established a branch of his Sri Caitanya Matha at this place. When
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu decided to accept the renounced order of life, Candra-
sekhara Acarya was informed of this by Sri Nityananda Prabhu, and therefore he
was also present when Lord Caitanya accepted sannyasa from KeSava Bharati in
Katwa. It is he who first spread word in Navadvipa of Lord Caitanya’s accepting
sannyasa. Sri Candrasekhara Acarya was present during many important incidents
in the pastimes of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He therefore forms the second
branch of the tree of Lord Caitanya.

TEXT 14
ens faurfafe— agar wifa |
Ua AT Meal ory Sif) Mf H 58 o
pundarika vidyanidhi—bada-sakha jani
yanra nama lana prabhu kandila apani
SYNONYMS

pundarika vidyanidhi—of the name Pundarika Vidyanidhi; bada-Sakha—another
big branch; jani—l know; yanra nama—whose name; /afiq—taking; prabhu—the
Lord; kandila—cried; apani—Himself.
