Snakes & Ladders: The Indian board game with a karmic angle
Be it kids or adults, who doesn’t love playing the game of Snakes and Ladders? This indoor board game is not only considered a classic, but is also loved by all and sundry. But this much-loved game that originated in India, was not invented for mere entertainment. It has a philosophical angle to it too. Let’s find out more about Snakes and Ladders.
How is it played?
You already know that Snakes and Ladders is played between opponents with a single dice and coloured tokens on a numbered grid (from 1 to 100). Anyone who plays this game proceeds from 1 to 100. The ladders aid progress and the mouth of snakes impede it. Whether you will win or lose relies on how lucky you are while rolling the dice.
A game of knowledge
You will be amazed to know that the roots of Snakes and Ladders can be traced back to the early 2nd century AD. This game has existed as the Hindu game of knowledge since that period. It was initially called ‘Gyan Chaupar and pachisi’, which translates into ‘Game of Knowledge’. There were other names too, such as Mokshapat and Moksha Patamu.
To date, the real inventor or the actual date of invention remains a mystery. However, there is one story that is widely believed. In the 13th century AD, Gyandev, a Marathi saint, came up with the idea of Snakes and Ladders. His vision was to teach children about virtues and vices.
The ‘karmic’ angle
The Hindus, since ancient times, have placed a significant emphasis on ‘karma’ or the principle of cause and effect. They were firm believers of the saying, ‘As you sow, so you reap’. In the case of Gyan Chaupar, each vice (as directed by the snakes’ mouths) and virtue (as directed by ladders) were known to have a corresponding effect.
Gyan Chaupar vs. Snakes and Ladders
The ancient game Gyan Chaupar and today’s Snakes and Ladders have some differences too. For instance, the one we play has 100 squares and Gyan Chaupar had 72 squares, with alternate boxes representing virtues and vices. There were neutral boxes too, known as safe boxes.
According to sources, the numbers 24, 44 and 55 represented vices such as bad company, false knowledge and ego, respectively. In contrast, there were also numbers that were designated to represent virtues. For example, the numbers 10, 28 and 46 represented heavenly planes, the plane of truth and happiness, respectively. As is evident, the opponent who touched upon more virtues than vices was the lucky winner!
How did Gyan Chaupar transition to snakes and ladders?
In the late 19th century, the British colonisers in India found this game fascinating, and made their own version. They maintained this game’s original rules and concepts but kept the philosophical and moral aspects at bay. Virtues and vices were replaced by snakes and ladders. Originally, there were more snakes than ladders, but the British colonizers balanced out these numbers.
Not only did the Britishers modernise the game, but they also carried it back home and spread it across America. In America, the game was introduced under the name ‘Chutes and Ladders’ in 1943. It was then a matter of time before Snakes and Ladders started ruling over the world as a dominant indoor board game!