Appannacharya's Guru Raghavendra Stotra

Guru Raghavendra Stotra
(Also called Sri Poorna Bodha Stotra)
By
Appannacharya
Translated by
P.R.Ramachander
(Guru Raghavendra (1595-1671) is one of the greatest saints of the Dvaitha Sidhantha, He is considered as the incarnation of Prahladha. His early childhood was spent In Tamil Nadu and he attained jeeva Samadhi in Manthralaya (Andhra Pradesh) in the banks of Thunga Bhadhra, Just before entering Samadhi, Guru Raghavendra told his followers that he would sit in that place where his Brindavana would be built and they should cover him on all sides by Bricks and the last brick was to be placed when he stops rotating the Japa Mala. At that times his chief disciple Appannacharya had gone to the other side of the river. He intuitively realized that his Guru was going to attain Maha Samadhi and rushed to the place to have a last glimpse. This stotra was supposed to be composed by him when he was rushing to have a last glimpse of his Guru. He could not reach in time but the Guru completed the last three words of this stotra after he reached there viz “sakshee hyastotra hi” from within his Brindavana and giving his final stamp of approval of this great prayer.
The first stanzas of the poem are supposed to have multiple meanings. I have given only the simple meaning. I have consulted the following web sites where the meaning of this stotra is given:-
meerasubbarao.wordpress.com/2008/06/11/sri-raghavendra-stotra-an-english-translation/ -
http://www.gururaghavendra.org/)

Sri poorna bodha guru theertha payobdhi para,
Kamari maksha vishamaksha sira sprusanthi,
Poorvotharamitha tharanga charath suhamsa,
Devali sevitha parangri ugra payo jalagna. 1

Jeevesa bedha guna poorthi jagath susathwa,
Neechaocha bhava mukha nakra ganai sametha,
Durvadhya japathi gilai guru raghavendra ,
Vag devatha saridhamum vimali karothu. 2

The Guru with complete intellect who makes us cross the ocean of life,
Like the water which emanates above the eye of the killer of “God of love”,
Which by the flowing waves washes the feet of Lord Vishnu,
And which has torrential waves worshipped by crowds of devas ,

And is the lord of life with all qualities and makes a better world,
Has the face which does not see differences between poor and rich,
Which like the group of crocodiles destroy the bad arguments
And is being meditated by sages as the Guru Raghavendra,
And let his words purify us like the divine river.

Sri Raghavendra sakala pradhatha,
Swa pada kancha dwaya bhakthi magbhyam,
Adhadri sammodhana drushti vajra,
Kshama surendra aavatthu maam sadaayam. 3

Sri Raghavendra who gives us everything,
To those who are filled with devotion to his feet,
Who by his sight destroys mountains of sins,
Like Indra’s Vajrayudha destroying mountains,
And who is king of earth , would protect us always.

Sri Raghavendro hari pada kancha ,
NIshevann labdha samastha sampath,
Deva swabhavo divija dhrumo,
Ayam ishta pradho may sathatham sa bhooyath. 4

Sri Raghavendra devoted to the feet of Narayana,
Who serves him with all the assets that he has,
Who is god like , who is similar to the wish giving tree,
Would bless me with all my wishes always.

Bhavya swaroopo bhava dukha thoola,
Sanga agni charya sukha dairya shali,
Samastha dushta graham nigraheso,
Durathya yopa plava Sindhu sethu. 5

He has a holy personality , who burns away sorrow and misery,
Who looks after welfare of the society and is very courageous,,
Who is capable of destroying the effects of evil planets,
And who is like the bridge built to cross the ocean of misery.

Nirastha dhosho niravadhya vesha,
Prathyarthi mookhtwa nidhana bhasha,
Vidhwath parigneya maha visesho,
Vaghwaiswari nirjjatha bhavya sesha. 6

He does not have any thing bad in him and appears fully praiseworthy,
Who by his firm and thoughtful words silences others in argument,
Whose greatness can be full known to only learned people,
And who has conquered others* by his mastery of words.
* Could be also Sesha Theertha whom he defeated

Santhana sampath parishuddha bhakthi,
Vignana vag deha supata vadhin,
Dathwa sarerothdha samastha doshan,
Hathwa sa no avyadh Guru Raghavendra. 7

Let the Guru Raghavendra grant me, children, wealth and devotion,
Special knowledge , health and skills with words,
Giving us freedom from all the ills of our body,
And also destroy bad effects from all the diseases.

Yad padodhaka sanchaya sura nadhi mukhya paga sadhitha,
Asankhya anuthama punya sankha vilasad prakhata punyavaha,
Dus thapa thraya nasano bhuvi maha vandhyaya suputhra pradho,
Vyanga swanga samrudhidho graha maha papa hastham sraye. 8

The collection of water that washes your feet which helps us to attain all desires,
Which brings innumerable , unsurpassed , illustrious and famous blessings
Which destroys the three types of miseries, blesses with good son saluted by the world,
To the elegant one deprived of them earlier and also destroys the bad effects of planets.

Yad pada kanja rajasa parii bhooshithanga,
Yad pad padma Madhu payitha manasa ye
Yad pada padma parikeerthana jeernavacha,
Thad darshanam duritha kanana davamrutham. 9

The sight of the devotee wearing the holy dust of his feet,
Who is drunk with the honey extracted from his lotus like feet,
And who understands and sings the praise of his lotus like feet,
Is the fast spreading fire which destroys our miseries.

Sarva thanthra swathanthrosou
sri madhwa matha vardhana,
Vijayeendra karabhjothdha
sudheendra vara puthraka, 10

A very independent saint who is well learned,
Who goes on propagating the principles of Madhwa,
Who is the blessed student of Saint Sudheendra,
Who was a blessing of lotus like hand of Vijayeendra,

Sri Raghavendro yathi rat
gurur may syath bhaya pahaa
Jnana Bhkthi suputrayuh,
Yasa sri Punya vardhana. 11

The great Saint Raghavendra.
My Guru who takes away fear,
And blesses with wisdom.
Devotion, good children, fame,
And leads to increase of blessed deeds.

Prathivadi jaya swantha bhedha china dharo guru,
Sarva vidha pranenenyo Raghavendranna vidhyathe. 12

There is no one like Guru Raghavendra,
Who defeats all those who debate against him,
And appears to them very fearful,
And also an expert in all Vedas and arts.

Aparokshi krutha shreesa samupekshitha bhavaja,
Apekshitha pradhat anyo raghavendranna vidhyathe. 13

There is no one like Guru Raghavendra,
Who has directly seen the consort of Lakshmi,
Who has discarded all bad desires,
And who grants us all that we desire.

Daya dakhinya vairagya, vak patava mukhangitha,
Shapanugraha sakthanyo raghavendranna vidhyathe. 14

There is no one like Guru Raghavendra,
Who is merciful, straight forward and detached,
Who adorns himself with mastery of words,
And who is capable of cursing as well as blessing.

Agnana vismrithi bhranthi samashyapasmriti kshaya,
Thanthra kampa vacha kountya mukha ye chendriyongava,
Doshasthe nasa mayanthi Raghavendra prasadatha. 15

With the blessings of Guru Raghavendra , ignorance,
Forgetfulness, misunderstanding , doubts , decay of sense,
Lethargy , shaking , stammering would disappear from all organs.,

“Om Sri Raghavendraya nama” ihyashtakshara manthratha,
Japithad bhanga vidhath nithyam, ishatha syur na samsaya. 16

Chanting of the eight lettered mantra,
“Om Sri Raghavendraya nama”,
Daily and without any break,
Would lead without doubt to fulfillment of all desires.

Hanthu na kayajan doshan Athmameeya samud bhavan,
Sarvan api pumarthascha dadathu guru rathma vidh. 17

Let the great Guru who has clear understanding of Athma,
Destroy all ills of the body and also those arising out of our mind,
And also similar ills of our friends and relatives.

Ithi kala thraye nithyam prarthaanaam ya karothi sa,
Iha muthraptha sarveshto modathe nathra samsaya. 18

He who does these prayers in dawn noon and dusk daily,
Would without any doubt achieve all that he wants.

Aagamya mahima loke Raghavendro maha yasa,
Sri madhwa matha dughdhabdhi Chandro aavatha sada anagha. 19

In this world Sri Raghavendra existed with great fame,
And was the moon to the ocean of Philosophy of Sri Madhwa,
And we seek his blessings of this flawless Guru.

Sarva yathra phala vyapthyai yada shakthi pradakshinm,
Karomi thava sidhasya vrundavana gatham jalam,
Shirasa dharayamyadhya sarva theertha phalapthaye. 20

I go round your Brindavana so that I get the effect f all pilgrimages,
I sprinkle on my head the water that has passed through the saint’s Brindavana,
And I get the effect of visiting and sprinkling all the sacred waters.

Sarvabheeshata sidhyartha namaskaram karomyaham,
Thava sankeethanam veda shasthrartha phala sidhaye. 21

For getting all my wishes fulfilled I salute you,
And singing about you gives same effect as reading Vedas and other holy books.

Samsare aksha sagare prakrthitho agahade dusthare,
Sarva vidhya jala grahairanupame kamadhi bhanga kule,
Nana vibhrama drubhrame amitha bhayasthomadhi phenothkate,
Dukhothkrushte vishe samudhara guro maam magna roopam sada. 22

Oh great Guru , save me from this deep , impassable ocean of misery called life,
With crocodile like blemishes which are agitated by ocean wave like desires,
With whirlpools of ignorance and perverse knowledge trying to pull me down,
And great sorrows which are like worst poisons trying to put me down.

Raghavendra Guru stotram ya padeth Bhakthi poorvakam,
Thasya kushtadhi roganam Nivruthi stwaraya Bhaved. 23

To him who reads with devotion this prayer to Guru Raghavendra.
Would easily get rid of diseases like leprosy .


Andhobhi divya drushti, syadheda mookopi vagpati,
Poorna ayu poorna sampathi, stotrasyaasya japangaveth. 24

A blind person would get sacred sight , a dumb person would gain mastery of words,
And get full term of life, also get all types of wealth , by repeatedly chanting this stotra.

Ya pibhe jjalamethena stotrenaivapi manthritham,
Thasya kukshi gatha dosha saerve nasyanthi thath kshanath. 25

He who drinks the water sanctified by recitation of this stotra,
Would get all the diseases of his stomach cured immediately.

Yad vrundavana masadhya pangu kanchopi vaa jana,
Storenanena ya kuryath pradakshina namaskruthi,
Sa jangalo bhave deva guru raj prasadatha. 26


Even a lame or handicapped person approaching this Brindavana,
Chants this stotra, perambulates and salutes it,
Would by grace of the god like Guru,
Would become a great expert in walking

Soma soorya parogo cha pushyarkadhi samagame,
Yo anuthamam idham stotramashtothara satham japeth,
Bootha pretha pisachadhi peeda thasya na jayathe. 27

During the eclipse of Moon or Sun or during Pushya Star,
He with purity recites this stotra one hundred and eight times,
Will not have troubles from ghosts , ghouls and devils.

Yethad stotram samucharya guror vrundavananthike,
Deepa samyojana jnanam puthra labho bhaved druvam. 28

If this prayer is chanted before the Brindavana of the Guru,
And a light is lit , definitely become wise and also get a son.

Paravadhi jayo diva jnana bhakthya yadhi vardhanam,
Sarvabhishta pravrudhisyannathra karya vicharana. 29

He would get victory over those who argue with him,
Get divine knowledge and his devotion will increase,
And he not get worried about any thing in life,
Because all this desires would be fulfilled.

Raja chora maha vyagra sarpa nakradhi peedanam,
Na jayathe asya stotrasya prabhavannathra samsaya. 30

Trouble from king, thief , big tiger or crocodile,
Without any doubt will not occur to him,
Because of the power of this great prayer.

Yo bhkthya guru raghavedra charana dwandham smaran. ya padeth,
Stotram divyamidham sada nahi bhaved thasya asukham kinchna. 31

Those devotees who think of the twin feet of Guru Raghavendra and read,
This divine stotra will without any doubt not undergo any problems,


Kim thwishtartha samrudhireva kamala nadha prasadhodhayath,
Keerthir dig vidhitha vibhoothirathula sakshee hyastotra hi. 32

But also his desired wealth will become plentiful ,
Because of the blessing of Lord Vishnu,
His fame and great prosperity will spread in all directions ,
And the truth of this is witnessed by Lord Hayagreeva himself.



Ithi sree Raghavendrarya guru prasadatha ,
Krutham storamidham punyam srimad appanna aabhidai.

This is the Stotra composed by Sri Appanna,
Due to the grace of the great Guru Raghavendra.

Ithi Sri Appanna virachitham
Sri Raghavendra stotram sampoornam.

Thus ends The Raghavendra Stotra written by appannacharya.

Bharathi ramana mukhya pranathargatha Sri Krishnarpanamasthu.


This great work composed due to the blessing of Guru Raghavendra is submitted to Lord Krishna.