The Rig Veda Blog
Journeys into Vedic Thought
Long-form, researched essays on the deities, language, ritual and history of the Rig Veda. All free to read.
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The Gambler's Lament: Reading RV 10.34, the Rigveda's One Hymn About Addiction
One Rigvedic hymn has no god to praise and no ritual to serve. It is the monologue of a man ruined by dice, and it hides a working model of an ancient game played with the nuts of a forest tree. Here is what the poem says, how the game worked, and why scholars still argue about it.