104 Sri Caitanya-caritamrta [Antya-lila, Ch. 1

SYNONYMS

‘udghatyaka’ nama—a dancing appearance of the player, technically known as
udghatyaka; ei Amukha—this is the introduction; vithi anga—the part is called
vithi; tomara dge—before you; kahi—l say; iha—this; dharstyera taraniga—a
wave of impudence.

TRANSLATION

“This introduction is technically called udghatyaka, and the whole scene is
called vithi. You are so expert in dramatic expression that each of my state-
ments before you is like a wave from an ocean of impudence.

PURPORT

In this connection Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura again quotes the
following verse from the Sahitya-darpana (6.288):

udghatyakah kathodghatah
prayogatisayas tatha
pravartakavalagite
Pafica prastavana-bhidah

Thus the technical names for the five kinds of introductory scenes of the drama
are listed as udghatyaka, kathodghata, prayogatisaya, pravartaka and avalagita.
When Srila Ramananda Raya inquired which of these five Srila Rapa Gosvami had
used to accomplish the technical introduction to his drama Lalita-madhava, Ripa
Gosvami replied that he had used the introduction technically called udghatyaka.
According to Bhdrati-vrtti, three technical terms used are prarocand, vithi and
prahasana. Thus Ripa Gosvami also mentioned vithi, which is a technical term for
a certain type of expression. According to the Sahitya-darpana (6.520):

vithyam eko bhaved ankah
kascid eko ‘tra kalpyate

akasa-bhasitair uktais
citram pratyuktim asritah

The vithi beginning of a drama consists of only one scene. In that scene, one of
the heroes enters the stage, and by means of opposing statements uttered by a
voice from the sky (offstage), he introduces the abundant conjugal mellow and
other mellows to some degree. In the course of the introduction, all the seeds of
the play are planted. This introduction is called udghatyaka because the player
dances on the stage. This term also indicates that the full moon enters the stage.
In this case, when the word natatd (“dancing on the stage’) is linked with the
