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Snakes and Ladders

A Game from India
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Snakes & Ladders ­ History
Snakes and Ladders originated in India as a game based on
morality called Vaikuntapaali or Paramapada Sopanam (the ladder
to salvation).
Wikipeidia states, "The game was played widely in ancient India by
the name of Moksha Patamu, the earliest known Jain version
Gyanbazi dating back to 16th century. The game was called "Leela"
- and reflected the Hinduism consciousness around everyday life."

Moksha Patamu was used by Hindu spiritual teachers to educate

children about the effects of good and evil. The ladders represented
virtues and the snakes represented vices. The moral of the game
was that a person can attain salvation (Moksha) through performing
good deeds whereas by doing evil one takes rebirth in lower forms
of life (Patamu).
The number of ladders was less than the number of snakes as a
reminder that walking the path of good is hard while the road that
leads to death and pain is easy. Climbing up takes work, sliding
down a snakes belly - well that's easy.
The numbered squares are also significant The number "100"
represented Moksha (Salvation). Tradgames has the remaining
squares listed this way...

The squares of virtue on the original game are Faith (12),

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Reliability (51), Generosity (57), Knowledge (76), Asceticism
(78); the squares of evil are Disobedience (41), Vanity (44),
Vulgarity (49), Theft (52), Lying (58), Drunkenness (62), Debt
(69), Rage (84), Greed (92), Pride (95), Murder (73) and Lust (99).
You can't help but see the religious and moral overtones of the
game. Lust is the last enemy. The lust here is not necessarily sexual
lust, but it is of a similar intensity.
It is the appetite to lay hold of things which are not yours. It's envy at
its worst and capable of keeping you from salvation.

The game is a game of life, and thus it has enduring appeal. It

draws on our desire to escape whatever difficulty we face and find
salvation, find deliverance. As already mentioned, as a tool for
educators it is a way of discussing the moral dilemma that children
must face as they grow.

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The game is still made in India and if you are looking for an
authentic version you are sure to be delighted. The most authentic
version we have come across is a board, dice, cup and pieces all
hand made using paper mache and vegetable dies. Its simple, but
stunning and the authenticity just makes it so much more enjoyable
to play.
It is also still an effective tool for gathering with your family or school
students in order to talk about the good and bad of life. When used
in this traditional sense the game becomes even more compelling
and is a great way to start a good conversation!

Game Rules
Snakes and ladders is a game of luck played by between two and
four players. Although it is marketed for children, it can be played
and enjoyed by all ages.
It is played on a ten by ten square board, numbered from one to
100; one is the starting square and 100 the end square. There are
various amounts of snakes and ladders of differing lengths printed
on the board, and a single die; the use of a dice-shaker is optional.
Usually, coloured counters are used as playing pieces, but coloured
buttons or any other objects small enough to fit on the playing
squares can be used.

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The varying lengths of the snakes and ladders will move a player's
piece backwards or forwards, slowing down or speeding up their
race to the end.
Some of the snakes and ladders are short and are only a small
setback, or a small advantage. However, there is usually at least
one long ladder, that takes a player about a quarter of the way up
the board, and most traditional boards have the head of a long
snake at square number 99, taking the unfortunate player almost a
quarter back down the board, just when they were nearly at the
winning square.
To decide who starts the
game, the players take turns
in rolling the die; the player
with the highest score starts,
and rolls the die again to
move. The race to the end of
the board begins.
All players start with their
playing piece off the board,
with square number one as
the first square to count on
their turn.
More than one playing piece can occupy the same square.

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There is no extra turn for rolling a six. It is a good idea to clarify the
rules before the start of the game.
On their turn, they roll the die and move their playing piece along the
squares in accordance with the number rolled.
When a player lands on a square containing the foot of a ladder,
they move up to the top of the ladder.
When a player lands on a square containing a snake's head, they
move down the snake, right down to the end of the snake's tail.
The winner is the first player to reach salvation! - square 100. There are
different rules for how this square can be reached.
One is that the exact number needs to be rolled on the die, either by
remaining on a square of 94 or above, and waiting until the required
number is rolled, or by moving to 100 then reversing back, according to
the number rolled on the die.
The other is that the exact number need not be rolled; decide at the
beginning of the game which rule to follow.

Enjoy The Game!

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