x ^7 '30 The A morpholithic Monuments of Brittany. 245 



not a monarch only of the world, but according to the~ex- 

 panded creed of Buddhism at the time of Asoka, lord of 

 the "three worlds," also : — (1). The world of men, signified 

 by the square plinth on which the dagoba rests surrounded 

 by the circular rail. (2). The world of Devas, signified by 

 the dome or vault of heaven ; and (3). The world of space, 

 signified by the kchetra that rises from the Tee, ending in 

 the symbol of the boundless empyrean — the three-forked 

 flame or trisul. (Catena of Buddhist Scriptures, by 

 S. Beal). 



In Ceylon, the bell-shaped reli-shrines or Dagobas are 

 surrounded with concentric circles of monoliths of various 

 numbers. 



Thus, at Thuparamya (250 B.C.), there are three con- 

 centric circles ; and at another, on the hill of Mehentele, 

 the concentric rows of granite pillars rise to half the height 

 of the central mound. At Sandei and Amravati also we 

 find the well known circles ; at the former in the shape of 

 stone imitation of wooden railings, and at the latter in two 

 concentric circles of upright stones (193 feet outer diameter) 

 carved with minuteness. 



In India stone worship is very prevalent, and, in conse- 

 quence, the custom of erecting amorpholiths is not yet 

 extinct. In every part of Southern India four or five stones 

 may often be seen in the ryots fields, placed in a row and 

 daubed with red paint, which they consider as guardians of 

 the field, and call the five Pandus. Col. Forbes Leslie 

 supposes that this red paint is intended to represent blood. 

 The god of each Khond village is represented by three stones. 

 Col. Leslie gives the drawing of a group of sacred stones 

 near Delgaum, in the Dekkan : the three largest stood in 

 front of the centre of two straight lines, each of which con- 

 sisted of thirteen stones. These lines were close together, 

 and the edges of the stones were placed as near to each 

 other as it was possible to do with slabs which, although 

 selected, had never been artificially shaped. The stone in 

 the centre of each line was nearly as high as the highest of 

 the three that stood in front, but the others gradually de- 

 creased in size from the centre, until those at the ends were 

 less than a foot above the ground into which they were all 

 secured. Three stones, not fixed, were placed in front of 

 the centres of the group. All the stones had been selefted 

 of an angular shape, with somewhat of an obelisk form in 

 general appearance. The central group and double lines 

 faced nearly east, and on that side were whitewashed : on 

 the white, near, although not reaching quite to, the apex of 



