Mokshapat by Gulabrao Maharaj

Our Childhood afternoons and evenings were synonymous with Games (Khel) as all the time we used to play some or the other Khel after school. We used to play Kabaddi, Chain tagging, Tiger and Sheep, Vish-Amrut, soccer, cricket and so many other games. We used to play both Sharirik and Boudhik Khel, and slowly came to know that it requires a lot of planning in executing and designing the khel as well. Aren't the khel stress busters, icebreakers apart from giving sheer happiness? Have you thoughtfully questioned if there is any message from the game? And it is conveyed to our surprise, unknowingly in a playful way? We can observe that in Bharatiya Arts - music, dance, drama, temple sculptures, paintings are designed to show Bharatiya dharmik or cultural values. Some art forms are even used as tools to attain some spiritual experiences, like bhakti yoga from music and dance. Some ragas can cure illness, asanas and pranayama help attain a healthy life. If this is the case then why can't khel give us some message or are they only meant for entertainment?

Kite flying game was used in a science experiment by Benjamin Franklin to demonstrate that lightning and electricity were the result of the same phenomenon. Shri Krishna played many khel in his childhood to showcase various Shastras. In some of the khels we have to bear the fruits out of them: good or bad. One of the examples we know is Dyutkrida in Mahabharata. In modern days we see games at Casinos are played with money. But we consider Dyut Krida or games at Casinos as Tamas types. With this logic why can’t Satvik khel or khel showing the path of liberation be created? They certainly can be. Chess can demonstrate us war strategies. Mokshapat, modern day Snakes and Ladders can show us the path of Moksha, with its ups and downs or straight through passage.

One of the most commonly played board khels today is Ludo, which finds its origins in the Indian game of Chaupar/ Dyut Krida/ Pachisi. It is one of the best khels to hone your strategic and managerial skills with its many complex rules and endgame possibilities. It was indeed a game-changer for the fates of the Pandavas and the Kauravas. Ludo, in fact, is a highly simplified version of Pachisi. Interestingly, On August 29, 1891, Alfred Collier applied for a patent in England, claiming that a board game, which he named Royal Ludo, was actually his invention. The patent was approved a few months later, and granted him full commercial rights and barred others from replicating the game. Since then, 'Collier Ludo boards' were sold across the world with the patent number inscribed on them.

My personal favorite is Moksha Pat whose simplified version is a worldwide classic - Snakes & Ladders. Surprisingly, or not, the British took the game from India to England and changed it according to Victorian values. But Moksha Patam has a deep spiritual significance in the Indian ethos. In the original game, the ladder squares depicted virtues like faith, generosity, knowledge and asceticism. The snakes represent anger, disobedience, theft and so on. The final goal leads to Moksha, hence Moksha Patam or the path to Moksha - how beautiful!

I have played the game Mokshapat created by Samanvaymaharshi Saint Shri Gulabrao Maharaj. He has written a small book on it : "Shraut Krida Vishesh – Mokshapat". It's a very small book but Gulabrao Maharaj assures us that we can attain Moksha if we play the game with a belief that the pawn representing me is not just a pawn but literally I, myself. He exhorts that if this world is not real but just an illusion as per Vedanta, same as board games, one can liberate himself/ herself. To explain this in detail, Glabrao Maharaj mentions a Pauranic/ Historic Story. Let's quickly check it out.

Story of Shri Narada
Once upon a time, when Lord Shri Krishna was sitting at his courtyard, Shri Narada Muni entered and Krishna asked him, “Narada, Are you the liberated/ blessed soul?”
Narada said, “God knows everything.”
Hearing this answer by Narada, God thought, even though Narada is an enlightened one, let me do a trick to show the greatness of the Guru, the teacher.
So Bhagwan(Lord Krishna) said – “Narada, whoever you will see on door at dawn, accept him as Guru and serve him”.
Narada said “Okay” and next day at dawn on the door, he saw a man sitting. Then as Bhagawan said, assuming he is the Guru, Narada Greeted him with a Namaste and sat besides him. But after Sunrise, Narada realized that the person is a fisherman and got worried and returned again at Lord Krishna’s courtyard.
Then Shri Krishna asked, “Did you serve Guru?”
So Narada answered, “Yes, But –” and saying this, he had a puzzled face and then Shri Krishna said-
“Narada, You should go though 84 lacs of Birth cycles for sure. Because whoever doubted Sadguru has never escaped death-birth cycles.”
This thing touched Narada’s heart and he hurriedly ran to the same fisherman.
Narada prostrated against Fisherman and told the complete story and said, “Bhagwan, Save me, Save me”.
Then Fisherman pointed at a thing and Narada took that thing and came back to the court and told to Shri Krishna,
“My Lord, Yes, I am ready to go through 84 lacs of birth-death cycles. But please draw them on a paper for my knowledge.”
Then Bhagwan said “Okay” and drew all birth cycles on a paper and gave that paper to Narada.
So, Narada put that paper on the ground, laid on it and started rolling over the paper.
Bhagwan said,”What are you doing? I cant get it”.
Then Narada said, “Bhagwan, I told you just now that I will go through these death-birth cycles, and that is what I am going through now.”
Krishna laughed and said, “Hello, Can just rolling on picture, one can go through the death and birth cycles?”
Narada said, “Yes for Sure, this has not only earthly but has God’s evidence/proof. Because Bhagwan, whatever pictures are in the world, are created by you.
Then what is the difference between those and this? Also this world is just a pictorial illusion as per Brahma-drishti. Because if you get scared by a Tiger’s picture then even you see it as real in dream. If this is the case of a drawing by a common man then how can not I believe on the drawing by God?”
Hearing this, Bhagwan quickly got up and did Namaskar with folded hands and hugged Narada and said-
“You are already a liberated soul with the blessings of Sage Sanat Kumar. Who that fisherman is to tell you! But I wanted to test your belief on Sanat Kumar’s told path of liberation, so I did this trick. You are already liberated then why you need to
fear of those 84 lacs of birth cycles? But that time Fisherman became your Guru, isn’t it?”
Narada said, “Bhagwan, I have developed strong belief in it. As Mother’s milk feeds a child, so mother earth’s food feeds him too, same way, I consider them equal who tells me path and method for liberation and who convinces me strongly about the liberation of soul.”
After this Shri Krishna asked Narada to take his seat.

There are lots of such games in great literature “Yogavasishtha” and even Sant Satguru Shri Dnyaneshwar/ Gyaneshwar Maharaj has also created several games : Dnyanpat (Knowledge Board), Sopan-pat, etc. With these games one can attain Moksha where game board represents the real world and players play with his/ her belief.
Jacob Schmidt-Madsen, student of philosophy has done research on various Mokshapats in India and has documented around 400 versions of it. There is Mokshapat by Ramdas Swamy, some mokshapats are from Gujrat, Rajasthan, Bihar, Bengal, Karnataka, Tamilnadu and various places in India. Such is the popularity of this game with Indians.
Now, lets learn about this game called “Shraut-Krida Vishesh” or “Kaiwalya-pat” or “Moksha-pat” or “Board Game for Liberation(of Soul)”. This game is conceptualized, designed and developed by Shri Gulabrao Maharaj.

In this game,

Kaiwalya is the Main place. In that, Para-Bhakti is the most important place.
As there are lot of people to attain Kaiwalya place, so the lot of hurdles as well.
If Bhakti is not there even Kaiwalya place is also worthless, that’s the secret of all Saints.

This Mokshapat by Gulabrao Maharaj is designed on principles from Vedas, Shrutis, Shastras and so the name : "Shraut Krida Vishesh" or "श्रौत क्रीडा विशेष ". We can find some references from Bhagwat Geeta, Patanjali Yog Sutras, Vedas or Puranas in this Mokshapat. Let's see some instances:
We can find some of the Bhagwat Gita verses in the game in the form of connected snakes.

Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 2, Verse 62 and 63
ध्यायतो विषयान्पुंस: सङ्गस्तेषूपजायते |
सङ्गात्सञ्जायते काम: कामात्क्रोधोऽभिजायते || 62||

While contemplating on the objects of the senses, one develops attachment to them. Attachment leads to desire, and from desire arises anger.

क्रोधाद्भवति सम्मोह: सम्मोहात्स्मृतिविभ्रम: |
स्मृतिभ्रंशाद् बुद्धिनाशो बुद्धिनाशात्प्रणश्यति || 63||

Anger leads to clouding of judgment, which results in bewilderment of the memory. When the memory is bewildered, the intellect gets destroyed; and when the intellect is destroyed, one is ruined.

Here the 1st snake starts with 'Vishayanurag' and ends at 'Sanga'. [From Square 129]
2nd snake starts at 'Sanga' and ends at 'Kama',
3rd from 'Kama' to 'Krodh',
4th from 'Krodh' to 'Sammoh',
5th from 'Sammoh' to 'Smruti Vibhrama',
6th from 'Smruti Vibhrama' to 'Buddhi Nash' and finally
7th from 'Buddhi Nash' to 'Death'.

One of the Ladders starts from 'Shravan' and ends at 'Samanvay', which is key for integration among communities.
Ladder starts at 'Smaran' and ends at 'Sakhya',
'Dhyan' leads to 'Samadhi',
'Paropkar' leads to 'Punya',
'Satkarma' leads to 'Chitta Shuddhi' and many more.

Unfortunately, khels such as Moksha Pat or Pachisi have now been reduced to mere games of dice where winning is the sole purpose. This serves as an example of how Indian inventions have been appropriated and sold back to us and is a reminder for us to claim what truly is ours. We need more researchers to come forward, explore Mokshapat and put the news things for the Benefit of Bhakts/ Players/ Human kind.
Can someone take the task to make this Mokshapat into Online Games?
Can we create new games from similar concepts from Vedas/ Upanishads/ Bhagwat Geeta?

For the benefit of everyone, please see below Scanned Mokshapat created by Gulabrao Maharaj. To make it easy for reading, Mouse over the image to zoom to see details on the right side square: