rams

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རམས
indigo; having a monastic degree [JV]

indigo [dye] [IW]

indigo [RY]

(med) Blue clay ?
Synonyms : ni la (Dash 1989)
Sanskrit : nīla (wisdomlib.org) nilinī (Dash 1989, Pandanus)
rams kyis mig dang mes tshig rma la phan / zhes par / rang byung pas / rams ni gdon gyi nad la phan / gsungs / rigs gsum ste / tshon rams dang / tshos rams dang / rkyags rams so / tshon rams yang zhing mkhregs la mthing nag dmar 'od chags pa bzang / tshos rams de las cung tsam sngo nag dmar 'od chung ba 'bring / rkyags rams sngo skya 'od med lci ba ngan / 'di 'ga' zhig gis seng ge'i brun yin smra yang mi 'thad de / seng ge mthong mkhan med par dkon la / rams rab tu mod pas so / kha cig shing gi khandra bshad kyang khanda'i nyams dbyibs med la / tshon gyi rnam dbye las sa yin par bshad pa dang / dngos kyang sa yin par mngon // (Shel gong shel phreng, pdf p 141.2)

Natural earth medicine. rams is the name for indigo, a plant extract from Indigofera species, but was traded in powder form which may explain it's consideration as earth medicine.

But it may perfectly indicate blue clay, a true earth. There is a notice of a blue clay, used for dyeing wool, in Gajurel & Vaidya (1984) 'Traditional Arts and Crafts of Nepal' :
Ram – It is a naturally occuring mineral. It is found in Kalimpong (India), Mustang (Nepal) and some parts of western Nepal. Ram is powdered and then boiled with the local Jand (beer) and the excreta of goats. A blue dye is obtained.
… A kind of blue clay or stone is found in the Mustang district of Nepal. This species is called 'Ram' in the local language. It is first of all pulverised and treated with acidic substances and water in a copper vessel and allowed to ferment for about a month. A kind of blue dye is produced. Wool is usually dipped in this blue solution. Wool is treated with warm water befor dyeing. The period of soaking the wool in the dye solution is determined by the colour shade desired. If a very light shade is to be imparted, it is dipped only for five minutes whereas deep-blue dyeing requires twenty minutes soaking...'
Blue clays, called 'gleyed', are found in marine sediments. Like oxidized iron gives the colour to red clay or limonites, the blue colour is due to reduced iron, formed through microbial activity in anaerobic conditions. Red clay can be turned into blue-green clay by adding water and anaerobic microbes – thence the fermentation process mentioned. In turn, blue clay oxidizes naturally within weeks or months when broken up and let to dry. The red or ferric iron is unsoluble in water, but the reduced or ferrous iron does go into solution (and is thus the only form available for plant uptake, for exemple).
Johannes Schmidt (talk) 14:18, 25 February 2024 (EST)