Is it humility or modesty?
Bhagavat : In Bombay two Swami Narayan sannyasis came to see Prabhupada. In the Swami Narayan camp, a sannyasi is never allowed to look at the face of a woman. If they do, they have to fast the next day. In the Swami Narayan temples, women listen from the other side of a curtain. Prabhupada was in his room talking with Yasomatinandan and Yasomatinandan's seventy year-old mother, an old wrinkled Indian woman. We opened the door, and when these two sannyasis saw this old woman they became disturbed and covered their faces. We said, 'Let's wait. Prabhupada will finish soon, and then you can go in'. They went downstairs and waited. When the woman came out, I went upstairs and told Prabhupada, 'These Swami Narayan sannyasis wouldn't come in before when they saw Yasomatinandan's mother'. He said, "Bring them now. I will talk with them." Prabhupada was very respectful towards them. He said, "I am so sorry, but one of my leading student's elderly mother came to see me. I saw her while her son was present in the room. My sannyasi servant was also here." They said, 'Oh, but we do not see a woman under any circumstances'. Prabhupada said, "Yes, I understand, Lord Chaitanya was also very strict." Then Prabhupada started to ask them questions about their religion, and immediately a confrontation began. They said that Swami Narayan was God. Prabhupada said, "Where in the Srimad-Bhagavatam does it say that Swami Narayan is God? I have not seen. I have seen Rama, Nrsimha, Varaha, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu mentioned in Bhagavatam, but where is Swami Narayan?" They said, 'It is in this book'. Prabhupada said, "Who has written that book? Is it the Vedas? Is it written by Vyas?" They said, 'No, such and such Swami wrote it'. Prabhupada said, "Oh, that Swami? Who is he and what parampara is he from?" Prabhupada was going on and on, hammering. He wouldn't let them go for a second. They tried to embarrass him by making him feel like he was less than them because he was talking to an elderly woman. He showed them that he was transcendental to talking to an elderly woman. They didn't understand the philosophy, and Prabhupada cut them to rivulets. He completely worked them over. They said, 'Oh, okay, we're going to leave, Swamiji. We've had enough now'. When they walked out, it was as if their heads had been in a ping-pong game. I said, 'Srila Prabhupada, you are the greatest', and I started going on and on, praising Prabhupada. Prabhupada said, "You appreciated?" I said, 'Yes. You had an answer and a verse for everything that they said'. He said, "Yes, this is the way to preach. So, you like this preaching?" I said, 'Oh yes, no one can defeat you, you are the best'. Prabhupada said, "Oh, you think so?" I said, 'Not just me'. Everyone in the room confirmed, 'Yes, Prabhupada is the best. Prabhupada is the greatest'. He said, "Oh, maybe, maybe." He was humble and he enjoyed the whole thing.
Reference: Memories Anecdotes of a Modern Day Saint - Volume 1 by Siddhanta Dasa
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