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NRTYARATNAKOSA
1 37
Whether this was insanity or a sort of religious frenzy, it is difficult to say. Possibly the mental stress and strain that Kumbha must have undergone in his unusually stormy life coupled with his emotional temparament might have resulted in a sort of softening of the brain, or probably his deeply religious nature, coupled with a sort of megalomania mnight have seen in the ordinary behaviour of a cow, the dance of the Divine Cow which plays such a great part in the mythology pertaining to Bāpā given in the Ekalinga Purāņa. Whatever it may be, it was a tragic sequel of such an eventful and splendid life
His political career started with a flight for life when his father Mahās rāņa Mokal was murdered by his uncles Chāchā and Māira. He witnessed the court-intrugues which resulted in the murder of his uncle Rāghava who was something like his guardian, the sequel of which was the murder of his brave general Rathod Ranmall. To this was added the constant anxiety of keeping down rebellions in his own dominion and warding off the invasions of his two powerful neighbours, the Sultan of Malwa on the East and the Sultan of Gujrat on the West. That he was equal to this task shows that he possessed intelligence, courage and valour to an uncomṁon degree. But the strain and stress involved in keeping down the court-intrigues and ambitions of his own sons as well as that of fighting external enemies might have ultimately broken even his strong nerves. It is possible to guess that the intrigues of his sons must have been the last straw. The provocation to the parricide Udaysingha requires to be sought out. The explanation
in the court-intrigues in which the Mahārāna sons were involved..
Whatever that may be, it is tragic to note that Mahārāna Kumbhā's regin started with the murder of his father by his uncles and ended with his murder by his son.
The estimate of Mahārāna Kumbhā's personality cannot be better expressed than in the words of Colnol Tod who says that he had the energy of Hamir, Lakha's taste for the arts, and a genius comprehensive as either and more fortunate (p. 334 Vol. I). In accordance with the Hindu ideal of a hero, he has been thus described by the poet of the Jaya-Stambha-prasasti :
धीरोद्धतं समिति संसदि धीरशान्तं मित्रेषु भूपतिषु भूपमुदारधीरम् । कान्तासुधीरललितं कलयन्ति सन्तो ये नायकावलिगुण[व्रज] जन्मभूमिम् ।। १६५
: (quoted in M. K. p. 220)
prob
1 This inscription and the Rasika priyä mention the names of two queens of Kumbha
Kumbhaldevi and Apūrvadevi,
