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Vol-1, XXIX
MOKAPATA OF ÑĀNADEVA-THE....
87
pass-signifying some qualities and other religious things, like the seven lokas, naraka, culminating into the Sayujya-mukti through Samīpatā. Sālokatā and Sārūpyamukti. There are nine Ladders and 15 Snakes, with the help of which(in fact, avoiding the Snakes and using the Ladders) we are supposed to reach the Highest Position. This, in short, is the nature of this game-which afforded entertainment as well as knowledge-while the play was on.
In course of time, some changes took place in the names of some of the houses squares in the Board. This must have happened due to the tendency of the players-of course, the enlightened Vārakarīs - the staunch followres of Jñaneśvara, - who must have thought of adding some missing philosophical concepts / terms to the already existing Game which they received by Tradition. This is the reason why there are some different names given to certain houses. Fortunately, it made no difference at all to the intrinsic value of the game. Moreover, the younger brother of Jñānesvara, viz. Sopānadeva, also accomplished some changes in the nomenclature - though the principle behind it was the same - to acquaint the general masses with the principles of the Bhāgavata - dharma - which basically catered to the needs of all the strata of the society at large. Sopānadeva named his game as Sopānapata - just a little bit different from the Moksapata of Jñanadeva alias Jñaneśvara.
As everybody knows, the Maratha Kingdom reached the far corners of India. Tanjore or modern Thanjavur in the Tamilnadu State was ruled by the Maratha Kings and naturally, this Game also went there along with other cultural things from Maharashtra. In the South, this Game was named as PARAMAPADASOPĀNAPATA- the Chart leading to the Highest Step(i ,e.MOKSA) in the human life. The peculiarity of this variety in the South was that the Pata included the pictures of the Gods and Goddesses as well as the patron Kings and their Queens. This Chart represents the Universe including the Higher and Nether Worlds according to the Hindu Cosmogony and the philosophy of going up in evolution through good acts and reaching the lower forms of existence through bad acts - which are respectively symbolized by the Ladders and the Snakes. The famous Karmasiddhānta is the basis of this Game. “As you sow, so shall you reap" is the solid foundation on which the entire edifice of this Game with its varieties, tinged with colours of different religious sects - is standing for centuries.
