The Dicing Game of Mahabharat

The Game of Dice
The pivotal movement in Mahabharata is the game of dice. Several questions arise: why should a
game be a part of a ceremony as solemn as Rajsuya Yagya? Even if there has to be a game why
should it be a game of dice rather than a game of skill and valor? Further, why should the whole
action turn on the outcome of this game of dice?. One reason could be that the game of dice
represents the unforeseen challenges that a king must endure during his reign. India.
Significance of a Game or a Sport
A sport or a game can be seen on at least two levels. Creation in Hinduism is regarded as
God’s ‘lila’. This ‘lila’ takes place both on the level of God and the level of man. Hence, we have
Ramlila, Krishnalila and the like that are enactments or ‘lilas’ performed by human being of the lives or
the earthly ‘lilas’ of Rama or Krishna1. ‘Lila’ in English is translated as ‘sport’ but this is a very
inadequate word. In any case, there is no element of frivolity associated with ‘lila’ that may be
associated with sport though the ‘lila’ itself may be sportive. ‘Lila’ can be a game or a theatrical
performance. The world is a sports field or a play. God creates out of sheer joy not because he wants
to acquire or own what he creates. He also neither creates out of necessity nor because he has any
duty to create. However, since the world is his creative field or ‘lila’, an unknown tale that unfolds, it
enables man to accept or transcend personal as well as public tragedy by seeing it as God’s mysterious
play. Also, if this is God’s ‘lila’ it is a make believe and unreal work in which man can only his role as it
comes to him as the events group and regroup kaleidoscopically. Every time the equilibrium is
disturbed, the universe regroups or readjusts unfolding unpredictable situations. Although the work is
a ‘lila’, a sport or a play, and hence unreal it has a tremendous impact because man is both an actor
and a witness in this cosmic play. Man...