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Stotra (Sanskrit:स्तोत्र) is aSanskrit word that means "ode, eulogy or ahymn of praise."[1][2] It is a literary genre of Indian religious texts designed to be melodically sung, in contrast to ashastra which is composed to be recited.[1] 'Stotra' derives from 'stu' meaning 'to praise'[3]
A stotra can be a prayer, a description, or a conversation, but always with a poetic structure. It may be a simple poem expressing praise and personal devotion to a deity for example, or poems with embedded spiritual and philosophical doctrines.[4]
A common feature of most stotras other than Nama stotras is the repetition of a line at the end of every verse. For example, the last line of every verse in the Mahiṣāsura Mardinī Stotra ends in "Jaya Jaya Hē Mahiṣāsura-mardini Ramyakapardini śailasute."
Many stotra hymns praise aspects of the divine, such asDevi,Shiva, orVishnu. Relating to word "stuti", coming from the same Sanskrit rootstu- ("to praise"), and basically both mean "praise". Notable stotras areShiva Tandava Stotram in praise of Shiva andRama Raksha Stotra, a prayer for protection toRama.
Stotras are a type of popular devotional literature. Among the early texts with Stotras are by Kuresha,[clarification needed] which combineRamanuja's Vedantic ideas on qualifiedmonism aboutAtman andBrahman (ultimate, unchanging reality), with temple practices.[4] Stotras are key in Hindu rituals and blessings.[5]
Stotra comes from the Sanskrit rootstu- which means "to praise, eulogize or laud" combined with theṣṭran suffix.[4] Literally, the term refers to "poems of praise".[6] The earliest trace of stotras are Vedic, particularly in theSamaveda.[6]
The genre of stotras spans from refined, personal works of poetic phrase such askavya to impersonal lists of a deity's names (nama-stotras) that can function like mantras through repetition. Historically linked to Vedic hymns and other lyrical poetry, stotras appear in many South Asian traditions, includingBuddhism,Jainism,Shaivism, andVaishnavism, and are often included in larger works like theMahabharata,Ramayana, and variousPuranas andTantras.[7]
The following is a Peterson translation of a Stotra by the Tamil poetAppar forArdhanarishvara, the Hindu concept of a god who incorporates both the masculine and the feminine as inseparable halves.[8]
An earring of bright new gold one ear,
a coiled conch shell sways on the other,
On one side he chants theVedic melodies,
on the other, he gently smiles,
Matted hair adorned with sweetkonrai blossoms on one half of his head,
and a woman's curls on the other, he comes.
The one the nature of his form, the other of hers,
And both are the very essence of his beauty.
— Appar, Ardhanarishvara Stotra,[8]
Thenama-stotra is based on chanting a litany of names for a deity. TheSahasranama, a type ofnama-stotra, is a litany of a thousand names for a particular deity.Sahasranama means "1000 names"; Sahasra means 1000 and nama means names. For example,Vishnu Sahasranama means 1000 names of Vishnu.[9] Othernama-stotras may include 100 or 108 epithets of the deity. According to Hinduism, the names of God are valuable tools for devotion.
