Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati Playing ChauparKalachuri 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.
