Dice and divinity

As we enter October and Navratri is behind us, the festival of Deepavali begins to take on a larger-than-life significance. Shopping, planning, parties, and the ethics and safety of bursting crackers become an integral part of the festival. Deepavali is not just a festival of lights and pujas, but also a time of play. On this day, people used to indulge in games and gambling as part of the celebration a custom that seems to become more widely spread as the years go by. Many of our festivals have moorings not only in prayers and rituals, but in music, dance, and games, and these can sometimes be seen as metaphors for a more important lesson in life. From ancient times, dice games that are referenced in scriptures, to playing card parties, the tradition of gaming during Deepavali has evolved considerably. But where did it all begin? The belief is that the tradition of playing dice games is rooted in Hindu mythology, with stories of Goddess Parvati playing dice with Lord Shiva. There is also a belief that she played dice on Deepavali night and declared that whosoever gambled on this auspicious night would be blessed with prosperity throughout the year. But is this a really divine sanction for gambling? The dice games were popular between Shiva and Parvati. The Shiva Puranam describes an intense game of dice between them, in which Shiva loses everything until Vishnu intervenes to rig the dice in Shivas favour. And therein lies the critical lesson in this game and perhaps divine sanction for those who internalise this message. The game conveys the message that luck is beyond mortal control and lifes outcomes are as unpredictable as a game of dice, and so there needs to be humility on winning and caution in gambling. To me, it is a chance for us to understand that life is an interplay of choice and chance. We can only do our best what is in our control but the results are not in our hands, and the element of luck often has a role too. Perhaps this luck can be influenced by divine intervention. In some ways, this is echoed in the Gita , Chapter 2, Verse 48, when Krishna exhorts Arjuna to be steadfast in the performance of his duty and abandon attachment to success and failure, for after all, luck and therefore the results are not in our hands. There is also a belief that the duality of Shiva and Parvati playing gives rise to the cosmos, with one commentary believing that when Shiva loses, the duality becomes more pronounced, leading to life as we know it, with the duality of sexes. So, this Deepavali, remember, the game is not about the gamble, but a metaphor for life itself, and probably a glimpse into how our life actually began.