Bashfulness in the Loving Exchanges with Kṛṣṇa

In the material world, bashfulness is often seen merely as shyness or social reserve. However, in the spiritual realm, it is a dynamic emotional symptom—a vyabhicāri-bhāva—that nourishes the mellows of love between the Lord and His devotees. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that bashfulness acts as an ornament for women in mādhurya-rasa, enhancing their beauty and charm. Yet, the highest expression of love sometimes demands the voluntary abandonment of this very bashfulness to serve the absolute desires of Srī Kṛṣṇa.

The Ornament of Feminine Charm

Bashfulness is considered a natural quality of a chaste woman, adding grace to her demeanor. In the pastimes of the Lord, whether it is the queens of Dvārakā or the damsels of Vraja, their bashful smiling glances serve to increase the transcendental pleasure of Kṛṣṇa.

• Her (Kubja's) smiling glance and moving eyebrows were full of feminine bashfulness as she stood gracefully before Lord Krsna, who is known as Madhava, the husband of the goddess of fortune.
• We know that the women and girls in Mathura are not village women. They are enlightened and beautiful. Their bashful smiling glances and other feminine features must be very pleasing to Krsna.
• While Lord Siva observed the beautiful woman (Mohini-murti) playing with the ball, She sometimes glanced at him and slightly smiled in bashfulness.

Surpassing Bashfulness in Pure Love

While bashfulness is an ornament, Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the intensity of love felt by the gopīs for Kṛṣṇa is so great that it overcomes even this powerful instinct. When the call of the Lord's flute is heard, or when the desire to please Him becomes paramount, the devotee transcends all social and personal inhibitions.

• The gopis were so much attracted to Krsna that when they heard the vibration of His flute they instantly left their homes, families, children, honor and feminine bashfulness and ran toward the place where Krsna was standing.
• One of Her (Radharani's) friends addressed Her in this way: "My dear friend, You have already sold Yourself and all Your beauty to Govinda. Now You should not be bashful. Please look upon Him cheerfully."
• Radharani's friend told Her, "One who has sold an elephant to another person should not make a miserly quarrel about selling the trident which controls the elephant." This kind of bashfulness is due to a new introduction in ecstatic love with Krsna.

Bashfulness as Humility and Regret

Bashfulness is not limited to conjugal affairs; Śrīla Prabhupāda reminds us that it also manifests as a symptom of humility or regret in other relationships. A devotee may feel bashful when defeated by the Lord or when overwhelmed by His praise. In this context, bashfulness and regret are often synonymous.

• When one becomes regretful for some offense, his feeling is called bashfulness. In this way, bashfulness and regret can be synonymous.
• Indra's bashfulness was due to defeat. In another instance, Krsna began to praise Uddhava for his various high qualifications. Upon being praised by Krsna, Uddhava also bowed down his head bashfully.
• The heavenly King, Indra, upon being defeated in his fight with Krsna for possession of the parijata flower, became very bashful because of his defeat. He was standing before Krsna, bowing down his head.

Complex Symptoms of Ecstasy

In the advanced stages of devotion, emotions are rarely singular. Bashfulness often mixes with other feelings like jubilation, anger, or lamentation to create a rich tapestry of spiritual experience. Even Kṛṣṇa Himself exhibits bashfulness in His interactions with His elder brother Balarāma or His confidential devotees.

• In this case there was a combination of bashfulness, anger, jubilation and lamentation. This is an instance of an aggregate of symptoms of ecstatic love.
• Seeing Balarama smile, Krsna thought that Balarama had understood His mind in observing the breasts of the gopis, and He immediately became bashful.
• Understanding their minds, the Lord looks at the princesses with a merciful smile, and they become bashful, realizing that He knows their desires.

Conclusion

Bashfulness in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is far removed from the mundane shyness of the material world. It is a transcendental symptom that facilitates the exchange of rasa. Whether it serves as a covering of humility, an ornament of beauty, or an obstacle to be overcome by the force of intense love, bashfulness plays a vital role in the dynamic relationship between the Soul and the Supersoul.

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