SB 1.10.16 (1964)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No. 16
Prasada sikhara adhurah karunarya didrikshaya Babrishu kusumai krishnam premabridasmit ekshanah.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Prasada—palace, Sikhara—the top roof, Adhura—ascending on, Kurunarya—the ladies of the Kuru royalty, Babrishu—showered, Kusumai—by flowers, Krishnam—unto Lord Krishna, Prema—out of affection and love, Bridasmitekshnah—glancing with smile and shyness.
TRANSLATION
With a loving desire to see the Lord, the ladies of the Kuru royalty all got up on the top of the palace and smiling with affection and shyness they showered showers of flowers upon the Lord.
PURPORT
Shyness of the ladies is a particular extra-natural beauty of the fair sex and it commands respect from the opposite sex. This custom was observed even during the days of Mahabharata i. e. more than five thousands of years before. It is only the less intelligent persons who are not well versed in the history of the world, do say that observance of separation from the male is an introduction of Mohamedan period in India. This incidence from the Mahabharat period proves definitely that the ladies of palace observed strict Pardah (restricted association with men) and instead of coming down in the open air where Lord Krishna and others where assembled, the ladies of the palace went up on the top of the palace and from there paid their respects to Lord Krishna by showers of flowers. It is definitely stated here that the ladies were smiling there on the top of the palace checked by shyness. This shyness is a gift of nature to the fair sex and it enhances their beauty and prestige even they are in the less important family or even they are less attractive by personal beauty. We have got practical experience of this fact that a sweeper woman commanded the respect of many respectable gentlemen simply by manifestation of a lady's shyness. Halfnaked ladies in the street does not command any respect but a sweeper's wife with shyness of a woman, commands respects-from all.
Human civilization as conceived by the sages of India is to get oneself freed from the clutches of illusion. The material beauty of a woman is an illusion because actually the body is made of earth, water, fire, air etc. but because there is the association of the living spark in the matter it appears to be beautiful. Nobody is attracted with an earthen doll even it is most perfectly prepared to attract the attention of others. The dead body has no beauty because nobody will accept the dead body of a so-called beautiful woman. Therefore, the conclusion is that the spirit spark is beautiful and on account of the soul's beauty one is attracted with the beauty of the outward body. The Vedic wisdom, therefore, forbids to be attracted with the false beauty. But because we are now in the darkness of ignorance, the Vedic civilisation allows mixing of woman and man very restrictelly. They say that woman is considered to be the fire and the man is considered to be the jug of butter. The butter must melt away in association with fire and therefore—they may be brought together only when it is necessary. And shyness is a check to the unrestricted mixing. It is nature's gift it must be utilised.