Pages

Friday, 17 July 2015

Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati Playing Chaupar


Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati Playing Chaupar


Kalachuri Dynasty,10th Century, Jabalpur Museum

           According to Shiva Purana and Skanda Purana, the divine couple  plays 'Chaupar' a game of dice. In the game Lord Shiva wages his trident, his drum and even Nandi, the bull. And loses them all to Goddess Parvati.  While he wants to quit the game, she wants to go on playing. Meanwhile in the bottom row Ganesh and Skanda watch this divine game of win and lose. Shiva 's 'ganas' try to play with the bull. It is a joyous moment, full of fun and laughter. But the message is a serious one : the dice is time, the pieces are the human being. Our fortunes change as the time changes. Despite our intellect (Shiva), ultimately Nature (Parvati) wins. Our creativity (Ganesh) our destructive impulse ( Skanda) merely watch from the sidelines. Like the bull, our senses need to be controlled.  Nature is supreme. Tao teaches us the same philosophy : human beings are merely a speck of dust in Nature.

3 comments:

  1. Maha Shivaratri is celebrated with great devotion as the most important day to attain purification of the soul and salvation from bondage of human birth and achieve union with Lord Shiva

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes it is true shiva parvati play chausar which shows their love forever, lord shiva loses everytime when he played with parvati, shiva become happy after he saw his wife wins against him. He want to see parvati happiness which was his forever love. Shiva said one day to parvati I given u whole my body which is yours, it means whatever shiva had it's all parvati.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Shiva dont want parvati too loose he always wants her to win everytime , when parvati loses shiva is unhappy sad

    ReplyDelete