The Dice Game

Once upon a time, in a timeless time, long ago- Shiva and Parvati who were high on wedded bliss and rapt in lovemaking, were interrupted by Sage Narada. Narada asked the divine couple, “What else is there to do?”, and then convinced them to play a game of dice. At first, Shiva cannot be persuaded and has zero interest in playing the game. Typical, disengaged Shiva. Once he decides to play, his arrogance matches that of his skill and he believes he cannot lose. During the game, Shiva becomes distracted by his wife’s beauty and calls out Uma on his breath (Uma is another name for Parvati- remember she has many names and many moods). In that moment, Parvati wins the game and Shiva is left holding the extra piece. In complete disbelief, Shiva accuses his wife of cheating. He then throws a temper tantrum and runs off to the Tillai forest (which is another story for another time).

To dive deeper-

Shiva represents consciousness. Parvati represents the experience of consciousness. The extra piece represents US- the manifest world. Shiva playing dice is a metaphor for cosmic creation. The constantly shifting configurations- birth, destruction, and recreation of the cosmos, are all a continual process. Life is a gamble AND we must be willing to play the game. The Sanskrit word narada means the gift of being human. The Sage convinces Shiva and Shakti to play the game whereby they receive the gift of being human.