Behind K???a’s Smile

Examines K???a's hint of laughter (prahasann iva) in the Bhagavadgita, its interpretations in the Vedanta commentarial tradition, and its significance in K???aite iconography and literature.

Behind K???a's Smile offers a wholly original perspective on the celebrated Bhagavadgita, or "Song of God." The book investigates K???a's hint of laughter (prahasann iva) in Bhagavadgita 2.10, which is generally understood to be the turning point of the famous poem, signaling the outpouring of his grace and teaching to Arjuna. Remarkably, it is from this verse that Sa?kara and other leading theologians begin to write their commentaries. In addition to exploring the momentousness of K???a's hint of laughter and its impact on the poem's central teachings, Behind K???a's Smile provides a crucial interpretation of K???a's prahasann iva in the Vedanta commentarial tradition, from Sa?kara up to modern times. The book also considers the meanings of the stock phrase prahasann iva in the larger epic framework of the Mahabharata and Ramaya?a. Moreover, the book offers the first comprehensive review of the significance of K???a's smile in K???aite iconography and literature, demonstrating that there is a unified canon bringing together the literary and performative dimensions of K???a's hint of laughter.