Stotra 1352444 223334223 2008-07-03T16:51:45Z 63.82.71.137 adding an example {{Original research|date=September 2007}} {{Hindu scriptures}} In Hinduism, a '''Stotra''' is a hymn of praise.<ref>For definition of {{lang|sa|स्तोत्र}} (''{{IAST|stotra}}'') as "A hymn of praise, panegyric", see: {{Harvnb|Apte|1965|p=1005}}.</ref> These hymns praise aspects of the divine, such as [[Devi]], [[Siva]], or [[Vishnu]]. Stotras, according to Swami Tapasyananda, are invariably uttered aloud and consist of chanting verses conveying the glory and attributes of God. Stotras are a type of popular devotional literature and are not bound by the strict rules as some other Hindu scriptures, such as the [[Vedas]]. They are accessible by the everyday householder. One type of stotra is based on chanting a litany of names for a deity. A category of stotra of that type is the [[Sahasranama]], which 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<ref>[http://www.hindupedia.com/en/index.php?title=Vishnu_Sahasranamam Vishnu Sahasranamam] on Hindupedia, the Online Hindu Encyclopedia</ref>. According to Hinduism, the names of God are valuable tools for devotion. ==Notes== {{reflist}} ==References== *{{Harvard reference | last=Apte | first=Vaman Shivram | year=1965 | title=The Practical Sanskrit Dictionary | place=Delhi | publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publishers | edition=Fourth revised and enlarged | volume= | isbn=81-208-0567-4 }} <!--== External links ==--> <!--===========================({{NoMoreLinks}})===============================--> <!--| DO NOT ADD MORE LINKS TO THIS ARTICLE. WIKIPEDIA IS NOT A COLLECTION OF |--> <!--| LINKS. If you think that your link might be useful, do not add it here, |--> <!--| but put it on this article's discussion page first or submit your link |--> <!--| to the appropriate category at the Open Directory Project (www.dmoz.org)|--> <!--| and link back to that category using the {{dmoz}} template. |--> <!--| |--> <!--| Links that have not been verified WILL BE DELETED. |--> <!--| See [[Wikipedia:External links]] and [[Wikipedia:Spam]] for details |--> <!--===========================({{NoMoreLinks}})===============================--> [[Category:Hindu worship]] [[Category:Sanskrit words and phrases]] [[es:Stotra]] [[it:Stotra]] [[te:స్తోత్రము]]