Stotra (Sanskrit:स्तोत्र)(sometimes stotram,स्तोत्रम्) is a Sanskrit word that means "ode, eulogy or a hymn of praise". It is a literary genre of Indian religious texts designed to be melodically sung, in contrast to a shastra which is composed to be recited.
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.
Many stotra hymns praise aspects of the divine, such as Devi, Shiva, or Vishnu. Relating to word "stuti", coming from the same Sanskrit root *stu- ("to praise"), and basically both mean "praise". Notable stotras are Shiva Tandava Stotram in praise of Shiva and Rama Raksha Stotra, a prayer for protection to Rama.
Stotras are a type of popular devotional literature. Among the early texts with Stotras are by Kuresha,Ramanuja's Vedantic ideas on qualified monism about Atman and Brahman (ultimate, unchanging reality), with temple practices.
Stotra comes from the Sanskrit root stu- which means "to praise, eulogize or laud". Literally, the term refers to "poems of praise". The earliest trace of Stotras are Vedic, particularly in the Samaveda.