While many of us think of games as something limited to two or four people around the table in a family, in ancient times, games had far wider connotations, not just in India.
For example, in Greek and Roman traditions, funerary games were competitions held in honour of the deceased person, often a hero or a noble figure, as part of their funeral rites. This is graphically described in Homer’s Iliad, when Achilles organised elaborate games to honour his fallen friend, Patroclus. The purpose of these games was to pay tribute to the dead, to appease the gods as the games were seen as offerings, and of course, to display wealth and power.
Closer to home, in India, games were very much a part of the Rajasuya ceremonies. The Rajasuya ceremony was one of the most prestigious and elaborate royal rituals in ancient times. It was a consecration ceremony performed by the king to assert his sovereignty. The purpose of the Rajasuya was to legitimise the king’s rule through divine sanction and assert his supremacy over other kings who were invited to attend and who offered tribute. It helped to unify the realm under a single authority.
While there were numerous ceremonies conducted, one of the very important symbolic acts was a game of dice. The game of dice was a symbolic ritual act during the Rajasuya ceremonies.
It was not a casual game, but a sacred performance, carrying profound significance. The king was made to win the game, an act that symbolised that fortune and divine will were on his side, thus legitimising his rule. While the dice represented unpredictability, by winning, the king demonstrated his mastery over fate, which was considered an important trait of a sovereign.
It was a staged game, not competitive, and was part of the sacred drama of kinship in the Rajasuya ceremonies. In the Mahabharata, the game took on a darker tone when Yudhishtra, after performing the Rajasuya, was invited to a real game of dice, which led to his downfall. This game, highlighting the difference between ritual and reality, also reflected the Indian philosophical view of life being an interplay of choice and chance.
What was the game that was played? One is not quite sure. Some references say it was played with four dice to represent the four directions. Some say it was played with five cowrie shells, and each shell had symbolic meanings. It seems unlikely that it was an actual board game from the descriptions. It was probably just the throw of the dice and results based on the numbers reflected in the throw.
It is interesting to see what an enormous role games play in our lives, not just in personal everyday interactions, but in the larger context.