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Here Asaga is credited with the cultivation of Desi style endowed with nine Rasas or poetic flavours.
Lately, one Ms. of the Vardhamānapurana of Nāgavarma II (A.D.10+2) has come to light; and it is to be soon published by the Institute of Kannada Studies, Mysore. He refers to Asaga in his work (I,27) in this mannerl : कन्नडटोळ नेगळिते] यसगं गजगं गणतंदिपोत्रतेबनने संस्कतोक्तिगे मयरन बाणन काळिदासनोने बेरे मत्तिनळिगब्बिगरोळ्गिरोळ पोणर्च पेळदन्नने बल्मेवेत्त कविताद्वयदोळ कवितागणोदयं ॥
Nayasena, in his Dharmamrta (A.D. 1112), speaks of a number of great qualities of different poets and yearns that his work be endowed with them (1.39)
असगन देसि पोन्नन महोन्नतिवेत्त बेडंगु पंपनोंदसदशमप्पपूर्वरसमेय्दे गजांकुशनोळपुवेत्तु रं-। जिसुव सदर्थदृष्टि गुणवर्मन जाण् कविरत्ननोजे शोभिसे
नेलसिक्के धारिणिमनंगोळे मत्कृतियो निरंतरं ।। He refers to the Desi style of Asaga. This shows that Asaga composed some Kannada works in the Deśi or indigenous style, as against Mārga or classical Sanskrit style.
Brahmasiva (c.1100-30), in his Samayaparikse, refers to Asaga by the synonym of the word, Rajaka, thus (I.35):
पोन्नने पंपने रजकने रन्नने कवितागुणोदयने दर्शनसं
पन्नतेयोळ कवितेयोळवरन्नने विदितात्मभावनग्गळदेवं ॥ The word asaga in an older form of agasa, a washerman. It is this that possibly led Ponna to have that slesa like this, in his Santipurana (XII. 23)
अय्दु कषायोदकदोळ् तोरदसगंबोळ् नृपेंद्रसभेयेब कोळ- ।
कुय्द [लसदलेदु सिलेयोळ्] पोय्द कविचक्रवति कविचीवरमं ॥ But there is no evidence to say that Asaga was a washerman by profession. On the other hand, it is clear from the biographical details noted above that he was a pious śrävaka. As I understand the term, his name really stands for Asamga, colloquially popularised as Asaga.
Acanna (c.1190-1220 ) remembers Asaga in his Vardhamānapurana in this way (I. 18):
श्रीविजयं गजांकुशनुदात्तयशं गुणवर्मना जगत्पावननागवर्मनसगं रसिकाग्रणिहंपदेवना । भावकचक्रि होन्निगनिळानुतरन्निगनग्गदग्गळंधी विभु बोप्पनेंब कविकंदर्परिंदेसेदत्तु भूतळं ॥
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1, I am thankful to Shri B.S.Sannayya for kindly giving me this extract. 2. Ed. K. Shama Shastry Vols. I & II, Mysore 1924-26. 3. Ed. B. S. Kulkarni, Dharwar 1958. 4. Mariyappa Bhatta & M. Govind Rao, Madras 1953.
