Indian cultural heritage is hidden not only in its temples, scriptures, and stories, but also in the games we grew up playing in our childhood. Snake and Ladders Multiplayer is one of them.
Today, we may call the world famous board game ‘Snake and Ladders Multiplayer’ by any name, Snake and Ladders or something else, but its real roots are found in the land of India.
Many people are surprised to know that it was not an ordinary game, but a wonderful text giving spiritual, cultural and moral teachings prepared by ancient sages.
Many popular indoor games played in India for years like Ludo, Carrom , Chess , Ashta Chamma , Solah Gutti , Bagh Chag (Tiger vs Goats Game), Bead Games and many other traditional games also originated from this land.
This in itself shows that our ancestors weren’t just gamers, but also exceptional game designers and intellectuals. Their creations are still played in every home and passed down from generation to generation.
One of these games is Vaikunthapali, known in North India as Mokshapattam or Mokshapatam. It is not just a game, but a mirror of life, revealing to a person the reality of their actions, values, and path in life.
History of Mokshapatam 13th century
What we now call Snakes and Ladders Multiplayer was originally called Mokshapattam. It was known by this name in North India, while in South India it became Vaikunthapali or Paramapadam.
According to historians, it was created in the 13th century by the great saint of Maharashtra, Dnyaneshwar or Gyandev. His goal wasn’t to create games for entertainment, but to impart knowledge about life’s values, religion, karma, sins, virtues, and vices to children and youth in a simple and accessible way.
The stairs placed within the game were not symbols of simple progress, but rather of virtues that, when adopted, would elevate a person’s soul to higher realms.
The snakes, on the other hand, symbolized bad deeds or vices that cause a person to fall, just as bad deeds cause a person to fall spiritually and mentally. Saint Gyandev created this game for children, but it gradually spread throughout society, and people of all ages began playing it.
Snake and Ladders Multiplayer Game of Hindu Culture, Philosophy and Life Philosophy
This Vaikuntha-like game consisted of 131 squares. People from every household played it together. Multiple players could participate, and each player began their journey in this yagna of life. The number of dice rolled determined the advancement of a player’s pawn.
To enter the game, you had to score 6 points. Once you gain entry, life’s journey begins, filled with ups and downs, struggles, and achievements.
In this game, the 131st square was considered a symbol of Vaikuntha, or salvation. The player who reached the 131st square first was declared the winner, but this victory was considered symbolic not just of the game itself, but of the journey of life. This is why many people also call this game the “Jeevan Khel” or “Life Game”
In ancient times, the game board was adorned with beautiful images depicting birds, animals, temples, gods, folklore, sages, laws, moral messages, and numerous symbols. By looking at these images, a child could discern which virtues would elevate them and which vices would bring them down.
It’s supposed to be a game, but it’s actually a very real story from our lives. You climb a ladder, make a mistake, and suddenly fall to a precipice. The same thing happens in life: sometimes luck favors you, sometimes a small wrong decision sets the whole journey back.
The hidden rituals within the Snake and Ladders Multiplayer game
When you look closely at the Vaikuntapali board, the images on it reveal the true purpose of the game. The ladder, in any corner of the game, always begins with a good deed or a beautiful quality and ultimately leads to a higher realm or a great achievement.
The snake, on the other hand, always begins with a bad quality and ultimately leads to a lower realm or a bad outcome.
For example, many steps were associated with important actions. For example, devotion leads to the highest level of the ladder, taking the player directly to Brahmaloka. This means that through devotion and faith, one reaches the highest spiritual level of life.
Elsewhere, the ladder begins with concentration or purity of mind, and the player is transported to Mahalok . This signifies that controlling and concentrating the mind leads one to greatness.
Similarly, the stairs starting from Yajna (performing spiritual and family duties) led straight to heaven, to show that religious deeds and family duties take a person to higher realms.
On the other hand, while the head of a snake appears to be associated with some evil quality, its tail takes the player to a very low place.
For example, on many boards, a large snake leads the player from a demon named Karkotaka to a picture of a pig. This meant that if a person possessed demonic qualities such as anger, greed, violence, or hatred, their next life would be as an animal.
In another example, an arrogant and unrighteous character like Duryodhana is depicted on top of a snake with its tail reaching the area wounded by arrows, symbolizing violence and suffering.
Above all, the largest and most intimidating snake on the board is Arukasura. This figure is even more special. Arukasura’s tail brings the player back to the very bottom, almost to the beginning.
Its deeper meaning is that no matter how high a person may reach, if he falls into even one major sin like arrogance, wickedness, deceit or cruelty, he may lose all the progress of his life and have to start again from the very bottom.
In this way, every ladder and every snake conveys a message life is not just a game of victory and defeat, but a journey of action. Good deeds propel us forward, while bad deeds bring us down.
Precious life lessons hidden in the game
Today, children may play this game just for fun, but in the olden times, it was a means for the elders of the family to easily impart understanding of life to the children.
Every picture, every word, every step held a lesson. If a child climbed a ladder with a good quality, family members would explain why that quality was important in life. If a child fell on a snake, they would explain which bad quality had brought them down.
Through this game, the older generations used to develop understanding in children about what to do and what not to do in life, which path to follow and which habits to stay away from.
The game teaches that good deeds lead to heaven or salvation, while bad deeds lead to rebirth or suffering.
In today’s world, when children’s moral education is based on books, videos, and modern tools, a game that combines the fun of learning and the joy of understanding is invaluable. Vaikunthapali was one such game.
The changing face of Snakes and Ladders
Over time, the game underwent many changes. The modern Snakes and Ladders game children play today has only 100 squares. All the pictures, all the lessons, and all the symbols were removed, making it just a simple, fun game.
There’s no mention of worlds, heaven, salvation, sacrifice, or devotion. Just a pawn moves forward, someone brings down a snake, someone else brings up a ladder, and the game’s over.
But the fundamental idea remains the same: good deeds lead to progress, while bad deeds hold you back. The game has changed, but the meaning remains the same. This is why even today, people not only enjoy playing this game but also unknowingly learn profound life lessons.
| Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Original name | Mokshapatam (North India), Vaikunthapali/Paramapadam (South India) |
| Produce | India |
| builder | Saint Jnandev (13th century) |
| Original purpose | Moral education, philosophy of life, understanding of sin and virtue, spiritual training |
| Total accounts | 131 |
| Admission Rules | Enter the game when the die rolls 6 |
| What do stairs represent? | Virtue, good deeds, spiritual progress |
| What do snakes represent? | bad habits, bad deeds, moral degradation |
| Examples of main staircases | Devotion → Brahmaloka, Purification of Mind → Mahaloka, Yajna → Heaven |
| Examples of the main snake | Karkotaka → boar birth, Duryodhana → suffering, Arukasura → throwing in the beginning |
| The ultimate goal | 131st meal (salvation) |
| Modern appearance | 100 meals, no pictures, no moral messages |
| Modern objectives | Entertainment, but the basic meaning is the same: good deeds advance, bad deeds bring down. |
Conclusion
Vaikunthapali, Mokshapattam, or Snake and Ladders Multiplayer, whatever its name, isn’t just a game, but a precious legacy of ancient Indian culture. It’s a game that combines both entertainment and education. While the game’s form may have changed, its underlying message: “Good deeds lead you forward and bad deeds lead you backward,” remains as true today as it was 700 years ago.
Those who think children can only learn from mobile games need only try this traditional game. Every parent should give their children this game not just to play, but to understand life, because this game truly reveals what life is: a journey, a path, a struggle, and ultimately a path to salvation.