Oh, I played Hamlet once in Calcutta

Sudama: I moved into the temple the day before Srila Prabhupada arrived. We went to the San Francisco airport, and I saw his airplane coming in, a TWA jet. Immediately I almost fainted as I cried without knowing why. Now I understand that the reason why I was crying was because I hadn't seen him in so many lifetimes. But I wasn't aware of that then.

All of sudden I saw everybody getting on their hands and knees, and I thought to myself, "Oh, my God. What will my family think of this? Here I am on my hands and knees." Then I looked up, and there he was. My life changed from that moment. I was initiated the next day. Tamal said: "Hey, everybody is getting initiated. You've got to get initiated too." I said, "Okay." It was like joining the country club or a fraternity. I didn't know what it meant. He gave me the name Sudama.

The next day he called me into his quarters. Govinda dasi was his head secretary and servant, along with Purushotam and Kartikeya, and he asked me what he had named me. I reminded him that my name was Sudama das, and he said, "What do you do, Sudama?" I said, "I am an actor and a dancer from a very famous dancing and acting family." His eyes lit up and he said, "Oh, I played Hamlet once in Calcutta," and he handed me a play that Hayagriva had just written on the life of Lord Chaitanya. It was two inches thick, much too long. He said, "I want your opinion. Come back tomorrow." So I went back the next day and he said, "To communicate through creativity affects the heart of people."