SAkshI haya syOtra hi

AppanAchArya was RAyaru’s beloved disciple. Most of the sanskrit hymns that we chant today in honor of RAyaru – rAghavEndra stOtra, mangaLAshTaka, danDaka etc – are his compositions. On the day RAyaru was entering the brindAvana, he was on the other side of the tungabhadra river. Since the river was in full spate he could not come back in time. As he ran towards manchAle his mind was filled with thoughts of his beloved guru and he instantaneously composed the famous rAghavEndra stotra (“Sri  pUrNabOdha guru tIrtha payobdhi pAra …”). When he reached the river it was in full spate but he did not care and rushed headlong. The power of his devotion was so great that the river parted for him and he reached manchAle quickly. But even this was too late. Just as he came in front of the brindAvana, the last slab had been laid and his beloved guru had vanished from his sight forever. Tears started to gush from his eyes and his voice choked. The stotra had reached its final stanza “ kirtir digvijita vibhutiratula ..” but he could not continue further. Suddenly, a voice rang out from the brindAvana "sAkshi haya syOtra hI" (meaning that Lord hayagrIva is the witness to the statements made by appanAchArya in his stOtra, and that He would make them all come true). Even today, anybody reciting this stotra with full faith and devotion gets all the grace of RAyaru.

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