Mahabharata Quiz - 38

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Question - 38

The dice game was the cause for the exile of the Pandava-s. Are there any clues in the Mahabharata on how it was played? Was it similar to rummy or chess (Chaturanga)? 

Answer:

The dice game played by the Pandava-s with Shakuni was not like rummy or chess, but it was a game involving memory power, guesswork and number game.

The Mahabharata refers to it as Aksha or Paashaka game and not dice game. Aksha is the rudraksha look-alike got from a tree called Vibheetaka. It is called 'Thandri - kaay' (தன்றிக் காய்) in Tamil. They are the nuts of the Vibhitaka tree. They only are used for this game.

There is no direct description in the Mahabharata of how the game was played, but we are able to construct the method of playing from the different sources such as Nala's story in which he learnt the science of counting numbers from Rituparna by practicing with the Aksha nuts and won the dice game to get back his kingdom. 

Basically the gamer must be skilled in guessing the number of askha-s (nuts) held in a closed hand. He must be able to quickly count the number of askha-s thrown during the game. This game looks similar to the odd or even or null game (ஒத்தையா, ரெட்டையா, பரட்டையா) we used to play in olden days. We used to have a collection of seeds (mostly tamarind seeds) and take a handful of them in a closed hand. The opponent must guess the number as odd or even or null. Then we will throw the seeds and start counting. If it turns out to be the number the opponent said (eg- odd), the opponent has won. All the seeds are to be given to the opponent.

In the same way, in the aksha game of the Mahabharata both sides will keep a number of aksha-s closed inside their palm. Each will claim a number and throw the askha one after the other. Here the numbering is not odd or even or null but just four numbers. They are Krita meaning 4, treta meaning 3, dwapara meaning 2 and kali meaning 1. 

We will use the Itihasic names for explaining the game.

Yudhishthira throws the aksha claiming treta, for example. Immediately Shakuni has to throw his askha-s by claiming a number. He always said Krita and threw some askha from his closed hand. Then they will count the total number. If it comes in multiples of 4, Shakuni has won. In this way Shakuni was won in all the throws. 

The trick lies in quickly guessing the number of aksha-s thrown by Yudhishthira and accordingly throwing enough number of aksha from his hand to make up for Krita. Shakuni was quick is judging the aksha-s thrown by Yudhishthira and the corresponding number that he has to throw by a controlled throw. 

What was basically a game of skill was misused when they started staking. 

This was played as a game of leisure by kings. Yudhishthira played it with the Matsya ruler in their 13th year exile but without staking anything. It was not so in the game with Shakuni. 

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