Hamsa Stainton and Anna Lee White, "Sanskrit Hymns Across Traditions: Studying Stotras" (Routledge, 2026)
About this episode
The episode discusses the significance and academic study of Sanskrit hymns across various religious traditions.
Sanskrit hymns of praise (stotra/stuti/stava) have been popular and influential within multiple religious traditions for thousands of years. Sanskrit hymns remain lively, meaningful parts of the religious lives of countless Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains today, and new stotras continue to be composed and recited around the world. The academic study of these hymns has made notable progress in recent decades as scholars have paid increasing attention to such compositions. A valuable pedagogical resource for educators teaching about Asian religions and literature, especially in comparative contexts, Sanskrit Hymns Across Traditions: Studying Stotras (Routledge, 2026) also establishes the foundation for future research and scholarship on a genre of religious poetry popular across South Asian religious traditions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/indian-religions
People in this episode
Host: Marshall Poe
Guests: Hamsa Stainton, Anna Lee White
Topics covered
- Sanskrit hymns
- religious traditions
- stotras
- Hinduism
- Buddhism
- Jainism
- comparative religion
Keywords
- Sanskrit
- hymns
- stotra
- religious poetry
- Hinduism
- Buddhism
- Jainism
- comparative studies
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Routledge
Books & works: Sanskrit Hymns Across Traditions: Studying Stotras
More episodes of New Books in Indian Religions
- Ute Hüsken and Suganya Anandakichenin eds., "Pathika: Studies of South Asian Texts and Traditions" (HAS, 2026)
- Pratap Kumar Penumala and Arvind Sharma, "The Bloomsbury Handbook of Hindu Ethics" (Bloomsbury, 2026)
- Gajendran Ayyathurai, "Tamil Buddhism and Brahminism in Modern India: Deep Resistance Against Caste" (Oxford UP, 2026)
- Sudalaimuthu Palaniappan, "Tamil Śiva Temples, Āgamas, and Śivabrāhmaṇas/Ādiśaivas" (YSSR Foundation, 2026)
- Aditi Chandra, "Unruly Monuments: Disrupting the State at Delhi's Islamic Architecture" (Cambridge UP, 2025)
- Christian Environmentalism in a Hindu Majoritarian Context
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the New Books in Indian Religions podcast page.