What are some of the least read stories in the Mahabharata?

 The story of Jaratkaru who married Jaratkaru and then Jaratkaru left Jaratkaru because Jaratkaru disrespected Jaratkaru!!

Ok coming straight to the story of Jaratkaru, there are multiple versions to this story but I will narrate the one found in the Mahabharata. So a sage named Jaratkaru once saw an old man tied upside down full of mucus eaten by rat. When he tried to rescue him, he told Jaratakaru that his condition is because of Jaratakaru who has not married till now due to which his ancestors are going through hell and are eyeing the end of their lineage. Jaratkaru had pity on his ancestors and decided to marry. But he put some conditions- the girl should have the same name as him, she should never displease him, and he will not support her financially.

After a lot of search, the serpent king Vasuki decided to marry his sister Jaratkaru (also known as Manasa) to the sage Jaratkaru and accepted all his conditions. The reason for this decision was a premonition that the son born out of this union will play a vital role in the Yagya of Janmejaya and in protecting the lineage of the serpents.

So Jaratkaru was married to Jaratkaru and soon she was impregnated. One day when sage Jaratkaru was sleeping on the lap of his wife, the sun started setting. The wife thought that her husband will miss the evening prayers but she also didn't wanted to wake her up. Eventually she decided to better wake him. She wake him up to do his evening prayers. Jaratakaru became extremely angry and said do you think that the sun can set without my permission!! And at that moment he decided to leave her.

The wife Jaratkaru eventually had a child alone which was named Astika. Later, King Parikshit (son of Abhimanyu) was bitten by a snake (because of the curse that Arjuna had got when he burned down the Khandav forest to create the city of Indraprastha which k*lled the whole family of Takshak Naga who lives with Indradev). Also Parikshit was cursed by the son of a sage to be bitten by a snake when he arrogantly put a d*ad snake on the neck of the sage!! After Parikshit passed away his son Janmejaya decided to k*ll all the snakes by having a grand Yagya.

As the Yagya started the snakes begin to fall into the sacrificial fire. Takshak was afraid about the lineage of Nagas and consulted Vasuki. Vasuki sent Astika to stop the sacrifice and this was the starting point of the Mahabharata story as Astika made Janmejaya remember the great lineage he belongs to and the reason Parikshit had to d*e because of the snake bite. And then he recounted the story of the Mahabharata to the people present there which was heard by the sages and then recounted to the other sages and therefore the Mahabharata was narrated to us.

The delighted snakes offered Astika a boon in return for saving their lives. Astika said, “Let the brahmanas, who recite my account in the morning and evening, have nothing to fear from you”.

The snakes acceded to his request and said, “He who recites the following need not have any fear from us:

‘I call to mind the famous Astika born of Jaratkaru, that Astika who saved the snakes from the snake-sacrifice. Therefore it behoves you not to bite me. O snakes of virulent poison, remember the words of Astika after the snake sacrifice of Janamejaya. You shall be blessed‘.

That snake who does not cease from biting even after hearing such mention of Astika, shall have his hood divided a hundredfold like the fruit of Sinsa tree”.

This verse is called Astika Sarpa Raksha mantra and is used to escape snake bite.

यो जरत्कारुणा जातो जरत्कारी महायशाः ।

आस्तीकः सर्पसत्रे वः पन्नगान् योऽभ्यरक्षत ।

तं स्मरन्तं महाभागा न मां हिंसितुमर्हथ ।।

What are some of the least-known facts or hidden stories in the Mahabharata?

 Mahabharat as written by Rishi Ved Vyas ji was called Jay Sanhita and had only 8,800 shlokas.

It was taught by Rishi Ved Vyas ji to his disciple Vaishampayan who later recited it to Janmejay, the grandson of Abhimanyu.

The Mahabharat itslef states that that it had 1 Lakh shlokas but sadly today no version having full 1 Lakh shlokas is available.

Janmejay is the only person in the entire human history to have conducted the snake sacrifice.

Various rishis appeared in the sky before Dronacharya and instructed him to stop fighting this war and told him that his period on earth is over now.

Dronacharya’s soul had already left his body through meditation before being beheaded by Dhristdyumn.

While Kauravas had to change 4 senapatis during the war, Pandavas did not change their senpati during the war. Dhristdyumn was their senapati from the beginning till the end of the war.

The idea of night attack on the pandava camp came to Ashwatthama after he saw an owl attacking a group of sleeping crows in the night.

Before starting the night attack, Ashwatthama offered prayers to Lord Shiv and he entered the body of Ashwatthama. That’s why Ashwatthama became too much powerful and nobody could face him that night.

Rishi Ved Vyas ji revived all the dead warriors and soldiers for one night using his ascetic powers.

Lord Krishna cursed only once in his life. He cursed Ashwatthama when he committed the heinous crime of redirecting his Brahmshira weapon towards the womb of Uttara, Abhimanyu’s wife to kill his unborn baby in order to completely finish the lineage of Pandavas.

Abhimanyu’s wife Uttara delivered his dead son which is a miracle as miscarriage happens if the baby dies inside his mother’s womb due to any reason. He was later on revived by Lord Krishna.

Why do some stories say Kartikeya is the son of Agni and Ganga while others say he's the son of Shiva and Parvati?

 Om Kartikeyaya Namaha

Lord Kartikeya or Shan_mukha (6 faced) is the son of God Shiva and Goddess Parvathi.

Kartikeya is known by various names like Murugan, Subramanyaswami, Shadaanana, Guha, Senthil, Saravana, Kumaraswamy and Skanda.

Lord Kartikeya was born to kill Tarakasur and free this world from his atrocities.

According to Skanda Purana, the birth story of Kartikeya is ::

• Goddess Parvathi was cursed by Rati devi (wife of Lord Kaama) that she can never carry a baby in Her womb, since Rati was devastated after Shiva opened His third eye and burnt Rati’s husband Kaama into ashes.
• So, later when Shiva married Parvathi, they knew that Parvathi can't bear the child in her womb. So, Shiva hands His fiery seed which was in the form of fire(the combined output of Shiva and Parvathi’s immense energy) to Lord Agni who can handle it till the radiance becomes Shiva's offspring.
• But, Lord Agni unable to bear the heat, gives the radiance to River Ganga who after sometime not able to bear, deposits it in a lake in a forest called Sara Vana, where Lord Kartekeya is born (giving him the name Saravana) with 6 faces namely
• Eesanam
• Sathpurusham
• Vamadevam
• Agoram
• Sathyojatham and
• Adhomugam and hence the name Shanmuga or Shadaanana
• Lord Kartikeya was taken care by six women symbolizing Pleiades, Kritika in Sanskrit, and thus He got the name Kartikeya.
• He is also always youthful, which gives him the name Kumara(sanskrit word for Youth).
• Lord Kartikeya has 6 faces, out of which 5 represent that of Shiva, as the Bhootanaadha (God for the 5 elements of the nature) and Sixth face is that of Goddess Shakthi or Parvathi.

• Since lord Agni and Goddess Ganga carried Kartikeya’s divine radiance(before he was born), he is referred as Lord Agni’s son and even Goddess Ganga’s son.
• Lord Kartikeya explained the meaning of the Pranava Mantra “Om”, in twelve crore verses, making Shiva and Parvathi proud of their son's intelligence and knowledge.
• Yogiishvaro Mahaa-Senah Kartikeya Agni- Nandanah
• Skandah Kumaarah Senaaniih Svaamii Shankara Sambavah.

Meaning is :: Oh, Lord Kartikeya, the Lord of Yogi and the commander in chief of the army of Gods, Mahasena, the Son of Agni and often reverred as Kartikeya, the son of the six Kritikas. You are referred as Skanda, son of Goddess Parvathi, and as Kumara when reverred as son of Devi Ganga. You are our Master and Born of God Shiva.

Source:: “Subramanya Charitra”, pravachanam by Chaganti Garu.

Are there any myths or false stories about King Ashoka?

 Legend claims King Ashoka transformed from a sadistic tyrant into a starry-eyed pacifist. Yet his own stone edicts reveal he kept his army—and the death penalty.

Because much of his story was recorded centuries later by Buddhist monks, his dramatic arc is riddled with myths designed to magnify the transformative power of their faith. The most pervasive myth is that Ashoka became an absolute pacifist after the carnage of the Kalinga War. In reality, he remained a pragmatic and stern emperor. While he gave up wars of aggressive expansion, he never dissolved his military or refused to punish criminals. In Edict XIII, he addresses the forest tribes (the Atavikas) who lived on the fringes of his empire, explicitly warning them that despite his newfound remorse, he retained the power to punish anyone who rebelled.

Another prominent legend claims that before his conversion, he was a bloodthirsty monster known as "Chandashoka" (Ashoka the Cruel). Later texts like the Ashokavadana describe him building an opulent palace that secretly housed a brutal torture chamber known as "Ashoka's Hell," complete with boiling cauldrons. There is no historical or archaeological evidence for this. The literary trope was simple: the more cartoonishly evil he was before encountering Buddhism, the more miraculous his spiritual awakening appeared.

Finally, it is a misconception that Ashoka forced Buddhism upon the Indian subcontinent as a strict state religion. While he was personally a devout Buddhist, the "Dhamma" (righteousness) he preached on his famous pillars was remarkably secular. It was a universal moral code emphasizing respect for elders, medical care for humans and animals, and social welfare. His edicts repeatedly urge tolerance for all sects, and he is known to have donated caves to the Ajivikas, a rival ascetic group.

Ashoka was not a pacifist saint, but rather a visionary statesman who realized that a massive, diverse subcontinent could not be held together by military force alone, substituting armed conquest with ideological unification.

The Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath, adopted as the official emblem of India, served to project the emperor's power and legacy. Photo by Lisa Bat is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

What are some inspiring stories about women?

 In the year 1917, a Tamil Indian girl was born in a middle-class family in Rangoon, Burma, where her father had gone for a living. He named her Sivaramakrishna Iyer Padmavathi. At a time when women were traditionally confined to the kitchen/illiterate, the middle-class girl did MBBS from Rangoon Medical College.

When the Japanese invaded Burma, they briefly returned to their traditional home in Coimbatore. In 1949, she went to London to do an FRCP, then unimaginable for a Female Indian doctor. She was selected to study further at Johns Hopkins University, US, where she trained under the legendary cardiologist Helen Taussig. Thereafter, she moved to Harvard University, where she trained under the Father of Cardiology- Paul Dudley White.

When a glorious cardiology career awaited her in the US, she was firm in returning to India & serving Indians. She joined Lady Hardinge Medical College in 1953, to become India's First Lady Cardiologist.

S.I.Padmavathi started India's first Cathlab & exclusive Cardiac Clinic. Started India's first DM Cardiology course. She founded the All India Heart Foundation (AIHF) in 1962, to serve the poor & needy. She joined Maulana Azad Medical College in 1967, by which time her fame had spread. The Indian Govt under Indira Gandhi honoured her with the Padma Bhushan, that year.

She was the cardiologist & administrator of 3 great colleges at the same time- MAMC, G.B.Pant Hospital & Lok Nayak Hospital. She retired as Director, of MAMC in 1978.

She set up the National Heart Institute (NIH) in 1981, in Delhi. At age 90, Padmavathi became a fellow of The European Society of Cardiology in 2007.

Till age 95, (the year 2015), Padmavathi worked 12 hours a day, five days a week, to serve poor and needy Indians, with state-of-the-art Cardiac Care. She retired from active practice, that year. The Government of India bestowed India's second highest Civilian Award, the Padma Vibushan on S.I.Padmavathi in 1992.

Both Padmavathi and her sister Janaki(neurologist) remained single and started the Janaki-Padmavathi trust, pouring in their entire earnings to start a trust to provide poor people with money for life-saving Heart Surgeries.

After dedicating her entire life to serving the poor in the field of Cardiology, S.I.Padmavathi passed away in 2020, at age 103 from Corona.

Imagine the steely resolve, vision, brilliance and sheer determination of this iron- lady to shatter the glass ceiling in achieving all these, serving poor Indians with quality cardiac care, and finally giving away all her wealth to her fellow citizens.

Here is an inspiring story of the first female cardiologist of India, who achieved so much by returning to her country. Tamilnadu & India should be mighty proud of their daughter- Sivaramakrishna Iyer Padmavathi!

Which are the stories associated with Lord Hayagriva?

 Lord Hayagreeva is one of the several Avatars of Lord Vishnu. He is worshipped as the God of Knowledge.

Story of Lord Hayagreeva

Narayana took the Avatara of Lord Hayagreeva to return the Vedas to Brahma, and slay the demons Madhu and Kaitabha. He then blesses Saraswathi as the “Goddess of Knowledge”.

Story of the Hayagreeva Idol

After being blessed by Lord Hayagreeva, Saraswathi starts worshipping an idol of Lord Hayagreeva. During Ramanujacharya's visit to Kashmir, Goddess Saraswathi appears in front of Ramanujacharya, gives Him the idol and says that his Bhashyam shall be called as Sri Bhashyam. This idol was passed on from Ramanujacharya to Swami Vedanta Desikar, thorough the Kidambi lineage. Swami Vedanta Desikar was blessed initially with the Hayagreeva Mantra from Garuda, and then received this idol from His cousin. He then gave it to his disciple, Brahmatantra Swatantra Jeeyar, who went on to establish the Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakala Mutt. The idol hence became a part of the Mutt. Even to this day, the idol is worshipped in the Mutt by every pontiff of the Mutt. Special poojas are performed on Sravana star to the idol. Here is a picture of the idol.

Swami Desikan and Lord Hayagreeva

Swami Vedanta Desikar, initially received the Garuda Mantra from his Uncle, and upon reciting the same, received the Hayagreeva Mantra from Garuda. He was then blessed by Lord Hayagreeva himself, and then composed his first work ever, Hayagreeva Stotram. It is a very beautiful piece. You can find the Devanagari script for the same here. Sri Dushyanth Sridhar recently gave the English translation to this work which can be found in this - Dushyanth Sridhar - Hayagriva Stotram. Hayagreeva also helped Swami Desikan in several instances, when Desikan was in need of help.

It is said that worshipping Lord Hayagreeva is very good for students. Reciting the Hayagreeva Stotram, performing Pradakshinam to the Lord etc are said to have helped many.

Information as I have been told from people of Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakala Mutt.

What exactly there crores of devathas mean as per Hindu mythological stories?

 First of All, it is Not Hindu Mythology and correct term that you must use is Sanatan Theology.

Ok, you are confused with the word — Koti ( Crore )

But another meaning of Koti is Type of Gods.

33 Koti Gods ≠ 33 crore Gods but

33 Koti Gods = Main Gods which are of 33 types ( 8 Vasus, 11 Rudras, 12 Adityas and 2 Ashwini Kumars along with 3339 others Gods) ( Rigveda )

So, there is no crores of Gods.

Om Namoh Bhagvate Rudrayah Namah 🙏🙏

Which is the most romantic mythological love story in India?

Shiv-Shakti

Shiv is Parabrahma and Shakti is Parashakti and they both are the source of creation in the Universe. They both are parents of the entire universe including atoms, rays, light, matter, waves, tissues, etc. They are the first couple in the universe. Shiv is nothing without Shakti. Shiv needs Shakti to live , to provide creation and destruction of the world. When she was Sati, she married Shiv but self immolated herself when she saw her father Prajapati Daksha insulting her and her husband. Then she came back as Shiv and Shakti are incomplete without each other and as Parvati she reunited with Shiv.

Shri Ram and Mata Sita

They are not mythology but actual history still they are the most beloved couple because they were entirely devoted towards each other. There was no one for them except each other. Shri Ram was a King yet he refused to be polygamous and never even maintained a harem. His life was empty without his beloved wife. Uttar kand is an interpretation but even if her exile happened, still he didn't abandon her as his wife. He refused to marry anyone else even when he was pressurised for it and when Mata Sita left the world, he made her golden statue and did penances and Yajnas and led his life as a celibate caring for their twis Lava and Kusha.

Radha Krishna

Radha is eternal consort of Shri Krishna in Goloka and in mortal world she was born as daughter of Vrishbhanu and Kalavati (Kirtida) and Brahma married them in Bhandirvan. Despite various regional folklores and other traditions, originally Radha is the wife of Krishna and she emerged from him so she is also his Shakti. They are incomplete without each other. He left her and other Gopis in Vrindavan when he left for Mathura.

Radha is source of all the wives of Shri Krishna as when he is Ram she is Sita, when he is Vishnu she is Laxmi, when he is Parbrahma (Vishwaroop) she is Parashakti.

Kusha and Kumudvati

Kumudvati was a Naga Princess and Kusha was son of Shri Ram and therefore benefactor of Garuda, enemy of Nagas. Garuda had killed Kumudvati's father. Yet, their love passed all the obstacles as it was a divine plan. Rishi Agastya prophesized that his first wife Champika won't have sons but daughters and he expected advent of Kumudvati. Later, after thinking that Nagas had taken his golden arm- bracelet when he was sporting in Sarayu with Champika and other junior wives and almost annihilating them with Garudastra, Naga King Kumud came out along with Kumudvati and returned the bracelet and gave her hand in marriage to Kusha. She was his favourite wife and he built Nageshwarnath Temple just for her. She followed Kusha in death as she couldn't live without him. They are eternal consorts living peacefully in heaven together forever.

What are some lesser-known love stories from Mahabharata and Ramayana?

Shri Ram and Mata Sita are the most famous couple from the epic. Besides them, original Valmiki Ramayana doesn't really deal with any other love story. Dashrath was very much in love with Kaikeyi but her evil boons made him forsake his love for her.

In Ananda Ramayana, Kusha and Champika are a marriage of royal convenience and Kusha and his second wife Kumudvati are a match of alliance but they develop natural love for each other. It's even mentioned in Raghuvansh.

Yupaketu (son of Shatrughna and Shrutkirti) had a love story of his own with Madansundari (Princess of Shivkantipuri) and he had Rakshasa Vivah with her.

Ravana and Mandodari are not a typical love story but when they first met when she was standing alongside with her father, he noticed her beauty and had a pure , ritually approved marriage with her and she was his Chief Queen. She was the only woman he truly respected being mother of his children and his favourite son Indrajit (Meghnad).

In Ananda Ramayana, Meghnad and Sulochana are an ideal couple who were very much in love with each other.

Devnadi Ganga and Shanthanu (Mahabhisha) fell in love with each other and got married but she left him when he broke his promise of never questioning her when she was saving vasus from curse.

Other lesser known couples are Yuddhisthir and Devika, Bhim and Valandhara, Nakul and Karenumati, Sahdev and Vijaya.

What are some movies that most people don't know are based on true stories?

 1 – Ted Bundy: The Irresistible Face of Evil (2019)

The film tells the story of Ted Bundy, one of the most notorious serial killers of all time, portrayed by Zac Efron. The movie details his trial, his crimes, and his prison escapes.

2 – Victoria and Abdul (2019)

The film is about the beautiful friendship between Queen Victoria of England (played by Judi Dench) and her valet, Abdul Karim (played by Ali Fazal), who worked for her for fifteen years, winning her affection.

3 – The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

The Wolf of Wall Street tells the true story of Jordan Belfort, played in the film by Leonardo DiCaprio, who was a stockbroker who quickly became wealthy but was discovered by the police for his illegal way of making money.

4 – Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)

The film is based on the murder of a woman named Kathy Page in Vidor, Texas, in 1991. Because no action was taken to find the culprit, Page's father put up three billboards in the Vidor area to draw the police's attention, leading to consequences for several people.

5 – 127 Hours (2010)

The film tells the story of Aron Ralston (James Franco), who became trapped under a boulder while hiking in a Utah canyon. To survive, he must take some desperate measures, fighting for his life for 127 hours, and this is what inspired the film's title.

6 – Catch Me If You Can (2002)

The film tells the story of Frank Abagnale Jr., who uses his cunning to scam various people and companies, pretending to be a doctor, a lawyer, and even a co-pilot, all before he turns 18. Later, he is caught by an FBI agent named Carl Hanratty (played by Tom Hanks).

7 – The Fate of a Nation (2017)

The film is based on the story of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who faced the decision of choosing between peace and violence amidst terrible circumstances. The role was played by Gary Oldman, who won an Oscar for his performance.

8 – The King (2019)

The film is based on the life of King Henry V (played by Timothée Chalamet), who becomes heir to the English throne after the tyrannical death of his father. He must now learn about palace politics and come to terms with some aspects of his past emotional life.

9 – Moneyball (2011)

The film is about Oakland A's manager Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) and a man named Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), who collaborated to create a great baseball team. Lacking resources and talent, they changed the game of baseball, making the most of the resources they had at their disposal.

10 – The Post – The Secret War (2017)

In 1971, Washington Post editors Katharine Graham and Ben Bradlee risk their careers to expose government secrets about four US presidents. The film stars Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep.