Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.66.15
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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veṣam
—
dress
From √viṣ (to be active, to take a form). The outer appearance, the costume. Gauḍīyas distinguish veṣa-dhārī (one who merely wears the dress) from the actual ācārya; the Bhāgavata-vocabulary for this distinction begins here.
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kṛtrimam
—
imitation
Returns from 12–14. Once is description; twice is verdict. The Bhāgavata locks the term to Pauṇḍraka — every later reading of these verses will think of him whenever the word appears.
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naṭam
—
an actor
From √naṭ (to dance, to perform). The technical Sanskrit word for the stage-player. Gauḍīyas (especially Rūpa Gosvāmī in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu) develop a sophisticated theory of naṭya in connection with līlā — but the actor never confuses himself with the role. Pauṇḍraka's offense is precisely this confusion.
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raṅga-gatam
—
entered upon the stage
Compound: raṅga (stage, theatre) + gata (come to). The verb of entrance. Vyāsa is reading Pauṇḍraka's military formation as a stage entrance — the battlefield is theatre, and the imposter has come on with full makeup. Bhagavān is both audience and director.
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vijahāsa bhṛśam
—
laughed strongly
vijahāsa (perfect of vi-√has, intensive laugh) + bhṛśam (strongly). Kṛṣṇa's laugh on the battlefield is rare in the Bhāgavata — most often it occurs at moments of demonic pretension (Kālayavana, Śiśupāla). The laugh itself is half the killing.
Śrīla Prabhupāda describes this scene as follows: “On the whole, however, [Pauṇḍraka’s] dress and makeup were clearly imitation. Anyone could understand that he was just like someone on stage playing the part of Vāsudeva in false dress. When Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa saw Pauṇḍraka imitating His posture and dress, He could not check His laughter, and thus He laughed with great satisfaction.” Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī points out that it was a benediction from Lord Śiva that enabled Pauṇḍraka to imitate the Lord’s dress and appearance exactly — a fact gleaned from the Uttara-khaṇḍa of Śrī Padma Purāṇa.
Instead of ātmanas tulyam sometimes ātmanā tulyam is seen. His ornaments were imitation (kṛtrimam) whereas the Lord’s were naturally manifested.
His ornaments were imitation (kṛtrimam) whereas the Lord’s were naturally manifested. He had dressed with skill. Thus the Lord laughed especially loud.
An actor in a village play has dressed as the king so well that the real king, walking by, stops to laugh — not in cruelty but in recognition of the genre. Bhagavān knows naṭyā when He sees it; He has authored the whole script of the world's stages.
My note
Source: vedabase.io