The 13th-century poet-saint Gyandev created a children’s game called Moksha Patam, which was later renamed Snakes and Ladders by the British.
In the original hundred-square game board, the 12th square represented faith, the 51st square reliability, the 57th square generosity, the 76th square knowledge, and the 78th square asceticism. These were the squares where ladders were found, allowing players to move ahead faster.
On the other hand, the 41st square represented disobedience, the 44th square arrogance, the 49th square vulgarity, the 52nd square theft, the 58th square lying, the 62nd square drunkenness, the 69th square debt, the 73rd square murder, the 84th square anger, the 92nd square greed, the 95th square pride, and the 99th square lust. These were the squares where the snake waited with its mouth open. The 100th square represented Nirvana or Moksha. The tops of each ladder depicted a God or one of the various heavens (Kailasa, Vaikuntha, Brahmaloka), and so on. As the game progressed, various actions would cause players to move up and down the board, much like in life.
