SB 1.11.20 (1964)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No. 20
Nata nartaka gandharbah suta magadha vandinah. Gayanti cha uttamasloka charitani adbhutani cha.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Nata—dramaticians, Nartaka—dancers, Gandharbah—celestial singers, Suta—professional historians, Magadha—professional genealogists, Vandinah—professional-learned speakers, Gayanti—all ejaculating, Cha—respectively, Uttamasloka—the supreme Lord, Charitani—activities, Adbhutani—all super humanly, Cha—and.
TRANSLATION
Expert dramaticians, artists, dancers, singers, professional historians, professional genealogists, professional learned speakers, all of them ejaculating their respective demonstrations began to act on the superhuman pastimes of the Lord and thus began to proceed on and on.
PURPORT
It appears that 5000 thousands of years before also the society needed the service of the dramaticians, artists, dancers, singers, historians, genealogist, public speakers etc. Dancers, singers and dramatical artists mostly hailed from the Sudra community whereas the learned historians, genealogists and public speakers hailed from the Brahmin community. All of them belonged to a particular caste like that and they become so trained up in the respective families. Such dramaticians, dancers, singers, historians, genealogists and public speakers would dwel on the subject matter of the Lord's superhuman activities at different ages and milleniums and not on ordinary events, neither they were in chronological order. All the puranas are historical facts described only in relation with the Supreme Lord at different ages and times as well as at different planets also. Therefore, we do not find there any chronological order. The modern historians, therefore, cannot catch up the link and thus unauthoritatively pass on remarks that Puranas are all imaginary stories only.
100 years before even in India all dramatical performances were centered round the superhuman activities of the Supreme Lord. The common people would be verily entertained by the performances of dramas and Jatra parties playing wonderfully on the superhuman activities of the Lord and thus even the illiterate agriculturist would be participants in the knowledge of Vedic literature even though there was considerable lack of academic qualifications. Therefore, expert players in drama, dancers, singers, speakers etc. are required for spiritual enlightenment of the common man. The genealogists would give account completely of the descendants of a particular family. Even at the present moment the guides in the pilgrimages of India would submit a complete account of genealogical table before a newcommer. This wonderful act by the guides sometimes attracts more customers for receiving such important informations.