1.134
raya kahe,--“kon amukhe patra-sannidhana?”
rupa kahe,--“kala-samye ’pravartaka’ nama”
SYNONYMS
raya kahe—Ramananda Raya says; kon—what; amukhe—by introduction; patra-sannidhana—presence of the players; rupa kahe—Srila Rupa Gosvami replies; kala-samye—in agreement of time; pravartaka nama—the introduction called pravartaka.
Ramananda Raya inquired, “How have you introduced the assembly of the players?” Rupa Gosvami replied, "The players assemble at a suitable time under the heading of pravartaka.
PURPORT
In a drama all the actors are called patra, or players.
This is stated by Visvanatha Kaviraja in the Sahitya-darpana (6.283):
divya-martye sa tad-rupo
misram anyataras tayoh
sucayed vastu-bijam va-
mukham patram athapi va The meaning of amukha is stated by Srila Rupa Gosvami in the Nataka-candrika:
sutra-dharo nati brute
sva-karyam pratiyuktitah
prastutaksepicitroktya
yat tad amukham iritam When Srila Ramananda Raya inquired about the arrangement for introducing the assembly of players in the drama, Rupa Gosvami replied that when the players first enter the stage in response to the time, the introduction is technically called pravartaka.
For an example one may consult the Antya-lila, First Chapter, verse 17.
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura says that the introduction, which is technically called amukha, may be of five different kinds, according to the Sahitya-darpana (6.288):
udghatyakah kathodghatah
prayogatisayas tatha
pravartakavalagite
panca prastavana-bhidah Introductions may be classified as follows: (1) udghatyaka, (2) kathodghata, (3) prayogatisaya, (4) pravartaka and (5) avalagita.
These five kinds of introduction are called amukha.
Thus Srila Ramananda Raya asked which of the five introductions had been employed, and Srila Rupa Gosvami replied that he had used the introduction called the pravartaka.