45 / Laughing Ecstasy
In the fourth division of  Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu , Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has described seven kinds of indirect ecstasies of devotional service—known as laughing, astonishment, chivalry, compassion, anger, dread and ghastliness. In this portion, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī further describes these ecstasies of devotional feelings, some being compatible and others incompatible with one another. When one kind of ecstatic devotional service overlaps with another in a conflicting way, this state of affairs is called  rasābhāsa , or perverted presentation of mellows.
Expert learned scholars say that laughing is generally found amongst youngsters or in the combination of old persons and young children. This ecstatic loving laughing is sometimes also found in persons who are very grave by nature. Once an old mendicant approached the door of Mother Yaśodā's house, and Kṛṣṇa told Yaśodā, "My dear Mother, I don't wish to go near this skinny villain. If I go there, he might put Me within his begging bag and take Me away from You!" In this way, the wonderful child, Kṛṣṇa, began to look at His mother, while the mendicant, who was standing in the door, tried to hide his smiling face, although he could not do so. He immediately expressed his smiling. In this instance, Kṛṣṇa Himself is the object of laughing affairs.
Once one of Krṣṇa’s friends informed Him, “My dear Krṣṇa, if You will open Your mouth, then I shall give You one nice sugar candy mixed with yogurt.” Krṣṇa immediately opened His mouth, but instead of giving Him sugar candy with yogurt, the friend dropped a flower in His mouth. After tasting this flower, Krṣṇa turned His
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