Of Morality Ladders and Villainous Snakes

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Of Morality Ladders and Villainous Snakes

The worldwide classic game of snakes and ladders is a source of everlasting joy. The excited squeal of climbing a ladder replaces the mournful sigh of becoming a snake's meal. The roller coaster ride is all about luck and numbers. But was it always the case? Let us go back in time to discover the roots of this board game.

Game of Snakes and Ladder. Illustrated by Anupama: Visual Storyteller at ThisDay

The game of snakes and ladders takes us into the heart of Ancient India. Historically known as Moksha Patamu or Mokshapat, its origin remains dicey. On the one hand, some scholars believe that the game's inception goes back to the 2nd century. On the other hand, some historians specifically mark its birth during the 13th century by a saint called, Gyandev.

You will be surprised to unravel the reason behind the game's invention. Primarily invented as a morality game for children, snakes and ladders responded to the themes of Karma (one's actions) and Kama (desire) in Hindu philosophy. Similarly, according to the Jain variant of the game, the concepts of Karma and Moksha (liberation from the Karmic cycle) were the highlight.

The game then travelled to the US territory by 1943. And it again went through a thorough makeover which closely resembles the modern-day version. The credit behind this transformation goes to the American pioneer of board games, Milton Bradley. Now styled into Chutes and Ladders, the aesthetics of the game become simpler with a twist of using a spinner instead of dice and chutes instead of snakes, making it a typical playground set-up.

In the following years, the game evolved into its contemporary form with simple squares inhabiting snakes and ladders, unbeknownst to its rich, age-old past. That was the journey of our beloved Snakes and Ladders through the centuries. Today, this simple game of fate and numbers continues to entice everyone into uncountable turns of playing for all the fun and laughter it promises.

Following the tangent of these thoughts, it is easier to guess what purpose the snakes and ladders served. The squares inhabiting ladders promised a virtuous ascend towards the ultimate goal of reaching the number 100 or Moksha in this case. While the spaces with snakeheads cautiously reminded the players of the result of the excessive Kama or misdeeds. The original game had more snakes as compared to the ladders, again prompting the message that the path to salvation is not a cakewalk and requires one to overcome numerous obstacles.

Furthermore, certain specific squares were attributed as virtuous and evil. The 12th square stood for faith, 51 for reliability, 57 meant generosity, 76 for knowledge and 78 for asceticism. It is no surprise that the evil squares outnumbered the virtuous ones. 44 stood for vanity, 49 condemned vulgarity, 52 was about theft, 62 for alcoholism, 92 warned of greed, 95 for pride and most vitally, 99 cautioned not to fall prey to lust.

With the entry of the British Raj, the fate of this game changed as well. Its inception into the English society stripped all the Indian values with the Victorian sensibilities in an attempt to reflect and prove their superior teachings. Naturally, this new version was more forgiving and equalised the number of snakes and ladders.