Bharatiya Jyotihshastra (History of Indian Astronomy), translated by R. V. Vaidya v2.c14.63

v2.c14.63

There is a system of Praśna Vidyā (question horā) in which all the faces of dice are marked with dots and problems are answered according to the casting of the dice. This system is known as ‘Pāśak Vidyā or Ramal’. Ramal is an Arabic word. In the sanskrit works on the subject of ‘Ramal’ which are extant at present, one comes across technical terms which are mostly Arabic; and hence one is likely to think at first-sight that this system originally belonged to Muslims but that is not so. A manuscript written on birch tree leaves in a script current in the times of ancient Gupta kings has been found by a European gentleman named BAUER. They consist of treatises devoted to three different subjects. It has been proved that the book was written some time between 350 to 500 A.D. In that work* is found a system somewhat similar to the present Ramal system; but most of the terms used in it are sanskrit and some Prakrit. There is a copy of the Garga-Saṃhitā in the Royal Library at Tanjore; which contains a chapter captioned “Pāśakāvalī” consisting of 235 verses. A verse from it has come to author’s notice; it contains** the technical term ‘Dundubhi’ which occurs also in the work referred to above: This proves that the Rāmal Vidyā originally belonged to this country. The language of the ‘Pāśakāvalī’ included in Bauer’s manuscript, suggests that it may have belonged to the 3rd or 4th century*** before Śaka era and it appears from this, that the ‘Pāśak-Vidyā’ was known in this country in those days. As time elapsed, the original sanskrit works disappeared and fresh works were written in sanskrit on the basis of Arabic works. It cannot be said for certain from what date they began to be so compiled. Bhaṭotpala and Śrīpati have each a work on Ramal to their credit according to Aufrecht Catalogue. The work Ramalāmṛta written in Śaka 1667, refers to Ramal works by Śrīpati and Bhoja. One wonders whether Jyotiṣis from Sind who had gone to Arabia in the 7th Century of the Śaka era, might have brought back Ramal works with them. The author does not know if the systems embodied in the two, Pāśakāvalī works mentioned above and in Ramal are identical. Such a comparison alone can decide if the art of Ramal was independently developed by the Muslims or whether transmitted from India in ancient times.