Introduction to Special Issue: "Stotra", Hymns of Praise in Indian Literature

The theme of this special issue of the International Journal of Hindu Studies is on stotra, hymns of praise in Indian literature, with a particular focus on learned Sanskrit compositions from the fourteenth to sixteenth centuries. In the spirit of Hindu theological discourse, each contributing article (to a greater or lesser degree) examines a prvapaka, an argument made by previous thinkers. The prvapaka is that stotra is in some way less than adequate as a form of poetry.