महाराणा कुम्भा (हरविलास सारदा - मेवाड़ साम्राज्य के अद्वितीय विजेता, निर्माता व विद्वान्)

Maharana Kumbha.
called Kullus. When the sikhara is but the
frustrum of a pyramid, it is often surmounted
by a row of lions, as at Bijolli.
The fane of Eklingji is of white marble
and of ample dimensions. Under an open-
vaulted temple supported by columns, and
fronting the four faced divinity, is the brazen
bull, nandi, of the natural size; it is cast, and
of excellent proportions. The figure is perfect,
except where the shot or hammer of an infidel
invader has penetrated its hollow flank in
search of treasure. Within the quadrangle
are miniature shrines, containing some of the
minor divinities. The high priest of Eklingji,
like all his order, is doomed to celibacy, and
the office is continued by adopted disciples.
Of such spiritual descents they calculate sixty-
four since the sage Harita, whose benediction
obtained for the Guhilot Rajput the sove-
reignty of Chitor.
The town of Eklingji is separated from
Nagada by a lake, which is one of the many
artificial waters that beautify the Udaipur
valley, and its bund or dam was built by
159

Maharana Kumbha.
Bhogaditya, five generations before Bappa, and
has since been frequently repaired. It is shut
in by wooded hills, and on its western margin
are two interesting temples, both ranking
high as specimens of ancient Hindu architecture.
OTHER TEMPLES.
Following the example set by Maharana
Kumbha, the people of Mewar following
different faiths constructed several fine temples
and dedicated them to the gods of their
worship. In Ranpur itself, Porwad mahajan
Vanshisagar’s son Kurāpal’s son Ratna, and
Ratna’s sons and grandsons built with
Maharana Kumbha’s permission in S. 1496
(A.D. 1439), a magnificent Chaumukha (four
faced) temple called Trilokyadipak (the light
of three worlds) dedicated to Yugadishwara.
This is one of the notable temples of the Jain
faith in India.
Shah Gunaraj, who was a favorite of
Maharana Kumbha, built temples in Ajahari
(Ajari), Pindarvataka (Pindwara)—both at
present in the Sirohi territory—and Salera
(Mewar) and renovated many old temples.¹
¹ Bhavanagar Inscriptions, pp. 114-15.
160

Maharana Kumbha.
Maharana Kumbha’s treasurer Vela son of
Sah Kelá built a temple at Chitor and
dedicated it to Sāntinath.¹ Similarly a Siva
temple on a hill near the Sema village, not
far from Eklingji, and several Jain temples
in Vasantpur, Bhula and other places were
built in Kumbha’s time.
This shows that in Kumbha’s time, Mewar
was in a very prosperous condition and the
people were rich and happy.
SINGAR CHANVRI.
Midway between the Nava Lakha Bhandar
and the Nava Kotha, built by the imposter
Banbir in A.D. 1537, and near the Tower of
Victory, stands the “graceful and richly
carved”² building called the Singar Chanvri
or Vedi built by Bhandari Velaka or Velā, son
of Sah Kela, Maharana Kumbha’s treasurer,
in V. S. 1505 (A.D. 1448-49).
The building is square in plan with four
wings projecting from its four sides and raised
on a plinth some 5 feet in height. The main
or central chamber of the Singar-Chanvri
measures 22' internally both ways. Entrances
¹ Rajputana Museum Report for 1920-21, p. 5.
² Cunningham's Archæological Survey Report, Vol.
XXIII, p. 118.
161

Maharana Kumbha.
are from the north and west, the sides east
and south being filled by trellis windows. In
the centre of this building, and raised 4'1"
from its floor, is a fortytwo-sided and highly
ornamental vedi, or alter, which supports four
carved pillars each 7' high and bearing lintels
1'3" deep; thus the total height of the vedi
is 8'9". This vedi is at present uncovered,
save by the cupola of the temple itself, and
the area between its pillars is 9 square feet.
Along the edges of the vedi, run small water
channels with outlets at the angles The
centre part of the building is covered by a
circular Jain dome built in horizontal layers
richly ornamented. The exterior walls are
beautifully sculptured in horizontal bands
containing numerous figures and floral scrolls
and are worth study by any one who is a
carver. The original roof terminations of the
central chamber and porches of the building
have disappeared. There is a perfect figure
of Paraswanath over the west entrance and a
less perfect one above the door to the
north. Its architecture is admirable and the
building, although small, is one of the most
attractive in Chitor.
162

CHAPTER XIV
—————
KUMBHĀ AS A SCHOLAR.
GREAT as Kumbhá was as a sovereign
and a military commander, he was also a great
scholar and poet. The Kumbhalgarh Ins-
cription says that it was as easy for him
to write poetry as it was to go to battle. It
is marvellous how, while constantly engaged
in warfare, defending his empire against his
foes, conquering new territories and adding
them to Mewar, building forts, strengthening
the defences of the country, embellishing it
with works of art, continually moving from
one part of the country to another, the
Maharana could find opportunities to develop
his literary abilities, and time to write poetry,
compose dramas, annotate old poems and
write treatises on the science of Music.
The important contemporary work, Eklinga
Mahatmya¹ shows that Maharana Kumbhā
knew the Vedas and was well-versed in the
¹ Eklinga Mahatamya, Rajvarnan Adhyaya, slokas 172—73.
163

Maharana Kumbha.
Smrities (law), Mimansa (philosophy), Natya
Śastra (Drama) Rajaniti (Political Science),
Ganita (mathematics); Vyakarana (grammar),
Upanishads (metaphysics) Tarka (logic) and
Sahitya (general literature). He knew the
Karnataki, the Maháráshtri and other
languages.
The commentary on Gita Govinda, named
Rasika Priya and the last part of Eklinga
Mahatmya, which was written during
Kumbha's time, show that he was a great
Sanskrit scholar, and that he wrote good
poetry with as much ease as prose. The
former work contains quotations from nume-
rous Sanskrit works and shows that Kumbhá
was a man of extensive reading. The last
part of Eklinga Mahátmya is a lyric and its
poetry is sweet and musical, and full of grace
and beauty.
The Eklinga Mahatmya, sloka 74, men-
tions four dramas¹ written by him. This
would show that he was a scholar of Prākrita,
like the famous Chauhan Emperor Visaladeva;
¹ Also Chitorgarh Kirtisthambha Inscription, V. 158.
164

Maharana Kumbha.
but, as none of his plays has so far been
discovered, it is neither possible to speak of
his proficiency in the Prákrita, nor to assign
him a place due to him amongst the dramatists
of India.
The Kirtisthambha Inscription, verse 158,
says that in his four dramas he made use of
Karnataki, Medapati and Maháráshtri langu-
ages, and adds that in Nātaka (play par
excellence), Prakarana (play that takes a less
elevated range than Nātaka) Vithi (one act
play performed by one or two actors) Nātakā
(a play in four acts), Bhán (monologue in one
act), Prahasana (farcical or comical satire in
one act), Rupaka (drama generally) he was a
new Bhārata.
He was an accomplished musician and
possessed a knowledge of the science, un-
equalled in his time. He was a most
accomplished player on Vina, the noblest
musical instrument invented by the Hindus.
He was regarded as the highest authority
on music; and because of this, the title of
Abhinava Bharatáchárya (new Bharatá-
165

Maharana Kumbha.
chárya), as distinguished from the old
Bharatáchárya, the authority on Natya Sastra
in ancient India, was conferred on him.¹
His works² on the science of music,
Sangitarája, Sangita Mīmānsá, Sudpra-
bandha, and Rasika Priyá³ (commentary on
the celebrated master piece, the lyric poem
Gita Govind) and his commentary on Sangita
Ratnakar are evidence of his mastery of
the science. He composed numerous poetic
invocations to gods to be sung in various
Rāgs accompanied by different Tāls. They
are to be found in the Eklinga Mahatmya.
Among other works known to have been
written by him is a commentary on Chandi
Shataka.²
Himself a great scholar, Maharana Kumbha
always valued men of learning, and showed
them respect and appreciated their work.
¹ Kumbha's commentary on Gita Govind, p. 174.
(Nirnayasagar Press, Bombay.)
² Chitorgarh Kirtisthambha Inscription, V. 157. See also
Catalogue of Mss. existing in the Central Provinces, by
F. Keilhorn, Nagpur, 1874 A.D.
³ Ibid, V. 158.
166

Maharana Kumbha.

The poets Atri, the composer of the first
portion of the inscription on the Tower of
Victory, and Mahesh, the composer of the
remaining portion of it, lived in his court.
He took great interest in architecture, as is
clear from the magnificent buildings and works
of art constructed during his time in Mewar—at
Chitor, Abu, Kumbhalgarh, Ránpur and
other places. A number of books on this
noble art were written under his auspices,
some of which have come to light. The
following eight books on architecture and
sculpture were written by Maharana Kumbha's
architect Mandan,¹ son of Çrikshetra (vide
Abfrecht's Catalogus Catalogorum, Part I.,
pp. 730-1, Leipzig, 1891 A.D.
( १ ) देवतामूर्तिप्रकरण        ( ५ ) वास्तुमण्डन
( २ ) प्रासादमण्डन          ( ६ ) वास्तुशास्त्र
( ३ ) राजवल्लभ              ( ७ ) वास्तुसार
( ४ ) रूपमण्डन              ( ८ ) रूपावतार
¹ A copper plate inscription of S. 1462 (A.D. 1405) in the
possession of Champalal, a descendant of Mandana at Udaipur
shows that Sutradhara Mandan was a native of Gujrat and had
been brought to Udaipur by Maharana Mokal, father of
Maharana Kumbha and granted a village for maintenance.
167

Maharana Kumbha,
Three other works on architecture by
Mandan's son Govind, are
उद्धारधोरणी, कलानिधि, द्वारदीपिका,
Mandan's brother Natha, wrote वास्तुमंजरी.
All these works are in existence at Udaipur
and were seen with Champalal, a descendant
of Mandan, by Prof. S. R. Bhandarkar, as
mentioned by him in his "Report of a Second
Tour in search of Sanskrit manuscripts in
Rajputana and Central India in 1905-6 A.D."
Maharana Kumbha himself wrote a treatise
on the art of building Kirtisthambhas (Towers
of Victory or Fame), based on principles of
Jaya and Aprajit, and had it engraved on stone
tablets and fixed in the lower part of the
Tower of Victory. A part of the first tablet,
found at Chitor and since deposited in the
Udaipur Museum, gives Maharana Kumbha-
karan's description of the characteristic
features of Towers according to Jaya and
Aprajit
168

CHAPTER XV.

INSCRIPTIONS AND COINS.
INSCRIPTIONS.
MORE than 60 inscriptions of the time of
Maharana Kumbha have been discovered.
The earliest inscription is dated the V. S.
1491 (A.D. 1434) and the latest, V. S. 1518
(A.D. 1461). Many of them are of the great-
est importance to the history of India in
general and of Rajputana in particular. They
have thrown a flood of light on the history of
Rajputana and elucidated several obscure
points in the history of Mewar. It is due to
the discovery and deciphering of some of
these inscriptions that the splendid achieve-
ments of this great monarch have become
known, and it has become possible to appre-
ciate his elevated character, his great attain-
ments, and his high position among the great
monarchs of India. A few of these inscrip-
tions are described below :—
169

Maharana Kumbha.

1. The earliest stone inscription of the time
   of Maharana Kumbhā is that dated the Kārtik
   Sud 2, V. S. 1491 (A D. 1434) and is in the
   possession of yati Khemsāgar in the village
   Delwārā Udaipur State. It records that,
   during the victorious reign of Rana Kumbha-
   karna, 14 Tankas (silver coins) were allotted
   for the worship of Dharmachintāmani Temple
   as detailed below :—
   5 Tankas from the Māndavi (custom house);
   4 from the Mapa tax (octroi); 2 from Manaheda-
   vatā tax ; 2 from Kharivata (Salt tax); and 1
   from Patasutriya (cloth tax) of Delwara.
   This Inscription is published in Jainacharya
   Vijayadharmsuri's booklet Deva Kulapātak,
   p. 22.
2. Copper plate inscription of Asādh Vad
   Amāvasyā, S. 1494 (A.D. 1437) found in the
   village Nāndiya, (Sirohi State), and at present
   deposited in the Rajputana Museum, Ajmer.
   It records a grant of a well and land to one
   Prabhā Brahmin. (Unpublished).
3. Inscription of Māgh Sud 11, Thurs-
   day, S. 1494 (A.D. 1437) engraved on the
   pedestal of the magnificent image of Adbhudhji
   (Śāntinath) in the Jain temple of Adabada-

170

Maharana Kumbha.
nāthji in the town of Nāgadā. It is trans-
cribed in The Bhāvanagar Inscriptions, page
112. It records the erection of the image of
Sāntināth by Sāh Sārang in the temple during
the time of Maharana Kumbhā.
4. The celebrated Rānpur Temple Inscrip-
tion of V. S. 1496 (1439 A.D.). This inscrip-
tion and an English translation of it were first
published by Mr. Peter Peterson in his
Bhāvanagar Inscriptions. Dr. D. R. Bhandar-
kar, in his excellent article on the Ranpur
Temple, contributed to the Annual Report
of the Archæological Survey of India for
1907-8, re-translates the inscription (p. 216).
The inscription is engraved on a stone built
up in a pillar to the left of the entrance
into the Chaumukha Temple at Rānpur,
about 6 miles from Sadadi in the Jodhpur
State. The stone, a slab of white marble, mea-
sures 3'.3" by 1'.1', and contains 47 lines of Sans-
krit prose. It is well preserved. The inscription
after stating that Sri Bappa was supreme ruler
of Mewar in V. S. 1496, gives the genealogy
of the Kings of Mewar upto Maharana Kumbha-
karan, incidentally mentioning Rana Bhuvana
171

Maharana Kumbha.

Simh as the conqueror of Sultān Allauddin
(Khilji) and the Chauhān king Kituka, and Rana
Lakhshman Simh as the vanquisher of the
king of Mālava (Malwa). Of Maharana
Kumbhakaran, the inscription says:—
“The lion of the forest, viz., (his) family,
the king Rana Sri-Kumbhakarna, who had
demonstrated the pride of the effulgence of a
conqueror by seizing, in mere play, the several
great fortresses (such as those) of the very
inaccessible and impregnable Saramgapura,
Nāgapura, Gagarana, Naranaka, Ajayameru,
Mandora, Mandalakara, Bundi, Khatoo, Chata-
soo, Jana, and others; who was like the lord
of elephants, being exalted by his own bhuja
(arms) and having acquired many bhadras
(auspicious qualities, or elephants of a
particular class); who was the lord of birds
i. e. Garuda, in having destroyed hoards of
snakelike Mlechchha kings, whose foot-lotus
was caressed by the rows of the foreheads
of the kings of various countries, whose
obstinate resistence was baffled by his terrible
staff-like arm; who was a Govinda for his
amorous dalliance with the faithful and love-
ly Lakshmi (goddess of sovereignty or the

172

Maharana Kumbha.
goddess Lakshmi); by the spreading of whose
valour, which acted like wild fire to burn the
thicket of bad polity, droves of beasts, viz.,
all the powerful hostile kings, were fleeing
away; whose title as the Hindu Sultān was
proclaimed by the umbrella of royalty given
(him) by the Sultans protecting Gurjaratra and
the territory of Dhilli which were occupied
by his great exploits; (who was) the asylum
of the sacrifice of gold; who was the suppor-
ter of the duties (enjoined) in the six systems
of philosophy; who was the ocean to
the river, viz., his quadripartite army;
who imitated Sri-Rama, Yudhishthira, and
other kings by his fame, virtue, protection
of his subjects, truthfulness and other
qualities."
5. A big stone inscription of Māgh Sud 5,
V. S. 1500 (25th January, A. D. 1444), fixed
in a wall in a temple of Krishna on a hill
near the village of Kadiyān about 15 miles
from Udaipur. It records that during the
reign of Maharana Kumbhā, a Brahmin named
Tilla Bhatta built the temple of Krishna.
Tilla Bhatta is stated to have belonged to the
173

Maharana Kumbha.
Bharadwaja Gotra and his two predecessors
were Sihad and Villa Bhatta. Tilla Bhatta had
received honours from Maharana Kumbha.
(Unpublished).
6. Rupāhéli Inscription.—An inscrip-
tion engraved on the back of a Jain image in
the Jain temple at Rupāheli (Mewar). It is
dated the 1st day of the dark half of Ashādha,
Samvat 1505 (A.D. 1448) and records that the
image was set up by Sā (Saha) Sāliga, his wife
Hānsū, their son Narasinha, his wife Jivani,
their son Israna and his wife Lisi; all belong-
ing to the Ukesa (Oswāl) family and Malya
Gotra. See Report of the Rajputana Museum,
Ajmer, for A.D. 1926, p. 2.
7. Four inscriptions dated the full moon
day of the bright half of Mārga (Margasirsha),
Sam. 1505 (A.D. 1448) recording the installa-
tion of the images of Sridhara, Krishna-Rukmini,
Rama-Lakhmana and Madhava-Tulasi by
Maharana Kumbhakarna of Mewar. The
inscriptions are engraved on the pedestals of
the images which are placed in the niches
of the Mandapa of the temple of Kumbha-
174

Maharana Kumbha.
svami at Chitor. Vide, The Rajputana Mu-
seum Report for 1917-18, p. 2.
8. An Inscription engraved on a pillar
in the temple, known as Singār Chanvri
at Chitor. It is dated Samvat 1505 (A.D.
1448). It refers to "the time of Rana Kumbha-
karna (Kumbha), son of Rana Mokal, son of
Rana Lakha." It records the erection of a
temple of the Jain Tirthankara Santinatha by
Bhandāri Velaka, son of Saha Kelha, the
treasurer of Rana Kumbhakarna (Kumbha).
It mentions Velaka's wives Vilhanadē and
Ratnadē, and his sons Mundharaja, Dhanaraja
and Kumarapala. The consecration was per-
formed by Jinasenasuri of the Kharatara-
gachchha. It also mentions the names of the
Jain pontiffs Jinaraja, Jinavardhana, Jina-
chandra, Jinasagara and Jinasundarasuri in
order of succession. Pandit Udayasilagani is
also mentioned as paying his obeisance. See
Rajputana Museum Report for 1920-21, p. 5.
9. Inscription of Asādh Sud 2, S. 1506
(A.D. 1449) engraved on a pillar in the court-
yard between the famous temples of Vimal Shah
and Tejpāl at Abu. It records the abolition,
175

Maharana Kumbha.
at the request of the Maharana's minister Dunger
Bhoja, of the Pilgrim tax, Customs, Valhavi
(armed escort) and Chaukidari and Cattle taxes
levied in Abu in those days. This inscription
is published in the Nāgari Prachāriṇī
Patrikā, New Series, Vol. I, p. 450-51.
10. An inscription on a perforated stone
window in the second storey of the Kirti-
sthambhā (Tower of Victory) of Maharana
Kumbha at Chitor. It is dated the 5th day of
the bright half of Phālguna, Samvat 1499
(A.D. 1443). It belongs to the reign of
Maharajadhiraja Maharana Kumbhakarna
(Kumbha) and records the offering of obeisance
to god Samiddhesva (Samiddhesvara) by
Sūtradhara (architect) Ja-i-ta (Jaita) and his
two sons Nāpā and Punjā. (Unpublished).
11. An inscription engraved on the
pedestal of a Jain image lying in the Jain
temple at Vasantgarh in the Sirohi State.
The inscription is greatly defaced. It is of
the reign of Maharana Kumbhakarna of Mewar
and is dated Wednesday, the 11th day of the
bright half of Māgh, Samvat 1507 (A.D. 1450).
176

Maharana Kumbha.
It states that the image was set up in the
Vasantpura Chaitya (temple) by Bhadaka, son
of Dhansi and others, and was consecrated by
Muni Sundersuri. Vide, Rajputana Museum
Report for 1924, pp. 3-4.
12-15. Four inscriptions engraved on the
pedestals of the images of Vasudeva, Damodar
etc. in Kumbhalgarh, all dated Asoj Sud 3rd,
S. 1516 (A.D. 1459) recording the erection of
the images of Vasudeva etc. by Maharana
Kumbha. All these inscriptions are deposited
in the Udaipur Museum.
16. The famous Kumbhalgarh inscription
of Magsar Bad 5, V. S. 1517 (A.D. 1460) in
the Mamādeva (Kumbhasvami) temple. This
inscription was engraved on five big slabs, of
which the first, third and fourth slabs and a
small part of the second, are deposited in the
Victoria Hall Museum at Udaipur. The
fifth and the greater part of the second slab
have disappeared. The first slab contains 64
slokas, and gives an account of the temples,
lakes and sacred places of Mewar. The third
gives the traditional accounts of Bappa Rawal
and others. Sloka 138 says: "An account
177

Maharana Kumbha.
of Rājvamsa (Rulers of Mewar) based on
several inscriptions is here given." It gives
an account of the geneology of the kings of
Mewar from Guhil to Rāwal Ratna Singh and
an account of Lakhshman Singh of Sisodā.
The fourth slab records that Maharana
Lakhamsi went to Heaven with his seven sons,
while fighting with the Mussalmāns (Allāuddin
Khilji) In his family was born Arisimha who
was like Narasimha and pierced the temples of
the elephants of his enemies with his sword.
He (Arisimha) was succeeded by his son Ham-
mira, who was very liberal and brave. He
conquered the fortress called Chelvāta
(Jilwara.) He was succeeded by his son
Kshetrasimha, who defeated the army of the
Yavanas near Chitor. He defeated Dafar Khān
(Zafar Khān), the lord of Pattan (Pātan i. e.
Gujrat), Ami Shah (Dilawar Khān Ghori of
Malwa, vide, Memoirs of Jehangir by Alexan-
der Rogers, Vol. I, page 407, and Elliot's
History of India, Vol. IV, page 552) and
imprisoned Ranamalla (Raja of Idar). He
conquered the rulers of Hādāvati (Hāravati),
brought their country under his control and
178