Smile and Laughter in the Sanskrit Literature and Indian Religious Art

In Sanskrit literature, smile and laughter have a tight link with the cosmic life. In mythological narratives, gods’ smile and laughter were interpreted as personal emotions. But sometimes the appearances of these features are so vague that it is difficult to understand or explain them rationally. Now, our question is that: what is the meaning of smile and laughter in Indian religious art and literature? Is it just an aesthetic feature? Or is it a manifestation of a sacred concept? Hinduism accepts laughter and smile for gods and human and there are texts full of anecdotes which recognize these two features associated to the liberation from the cycle of life or samsāra. Jainism negates laughter and limits smile to unliberated men, so it has no moral justification. In other words, laughter which is a result of ignorance will lead to reincarnation in the world of samsāra. For Buddhists smile have both spiritual and worldly value so it has two aspects, exoteric and esoteric, which belong to the gods and human, but from the Buddha's point of view, laughter belongs to the perfect men who have reached nirvāna and gained absolute knowledge by understanding the truth of suffering.