Chaitanyachandrodaya

Chaitanyachandrodaya (c.1572) sanskrit play by kavikarnapur, based on the life of Sri chaitanya. This ten-acts play was greatly influenced by Krishva Mishra's play, Prabodhachandrodaya. It was composed to console King Prataprudra of Orissa who was shocked at the demise of Chaitanyadev.

The first five acts are a dramatic representation of Chaitanya's life in Puri, with the remaining five acts dealing with the last few years of his life. Symbolic and mythological characters exist alongside with historical characters. The principal characters are Kali, Adharma, Viraga, Bhakti-devi, Maitri, Prembhakti, Gabga, Ratnakara, and the followers of Chaitanyadev. It is inspired by the Vaishnavite doctrines influencing Chaitanyadev and depicting historical and mythical episodes in his life. It is marked by a complex style, lengthy dialogues, and excessive rhetorics. Some portions of this play have been cited in Bhaktiratnakara. Premadasa translated this play into Bangla as Chaitanyachandrodayakaumudi. [Manjula Chowdhury]