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134
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[MAY, 1892.
II.-Table of Order of Groups in MS.
1. 444 12 II. 333 9 III. 222 6 IV. 1113
v. 443 11 VI. 334 10 VII. 4329
30
VIII. 441 9 IX. 4217
X. 341 8 XI. 3216
30
XII. 442 10 XIII. 224 8 XIV. 3328
xv. 114 XVI. 2237 XVII. 3317 XVIII. 113 5 XIX. 221 5 XX. 1124
As already remarked, each (properly made) throw of the dice would indicate three fields, or one group of three figures ; but in most cases, it would not show what particular variation of the group was to be understood by the throw. Some mark would be needed to show in what order the figures indicated by any particular throw should be read. It is for this reason that the three dice are marked by the emblems of a pitcher, discus and elephant, and that the order of these three emblems is laid down in the introduction. The direction intended to be given in the introduction (as I take it) is that the dice should be thrown on the fields of the diagram, and then the throw read off in the order of the marks of the dice; that is, the figure indicated by the pitcber-die is to be placed first, that of the discus-die is to come second, and that of the elephant-die is to come last. With the aid of this rule, there would be no doubt as to which group and variation any particular throw indicated.
The fortune-teller would first make his diagram or lay his board; he would then make a throw of his dice; from the throw he would know the group and its name, and from the order of the dice he wonld know the particular variety of the group. For every variety he would know a verse ; and the verses would suggest to him what he should prognosticate in any given case. I remember, some years ago, when I was spending my summer vacation in Darjeeling, a travelling Kashmiri (or Afghan) came to the hotel in which I was staying, and told the fortune of any one who wished to consult him by a somewbat similar procedure. I then took no particular notice of him, but I remember that he used a diagram and variously marked oblong dice, by the help of which he made his prognostications. Perhaps some who read this may be able to supplement my information, and tell us whether the same or similar practices in divination as those indicated in the Bower Manuseript are still observed anywhere in India or its northern borders.
One point more may be noticed. The order of the groups in the manuscript is shown in Table II. It may be asked why the groaps should be arranged in that order in preference to the more obvious logical order shown in Table I. Perhaps there may be no better reason for it than accident; but the Table shows a carious fact which may possibly account for it. The first four groups may be regarded as the key-groups; and the total of the sams of the figares composing them gives a key-total of 30. Now, if the figures of the remaining groups are severally summed up, and the sums arranged in an order decreasing by 1, it is found that the key-total 30 is repeated four times : and in this order the manuscript arranges the groups. The arrangement, however, is not quite perfect: groap X. ought to precede group IX., and groups XVI. and XVII. ought to precede groap XV. This circumstance, though it may be due to an error of the scribe, prevents the explanation from having more than the character of a doubtful conjecture.
The Nâgari transcript gives the text as it stands in the manuscript, broken letters being
