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.

Can you share the stories or legends behind some of the most famous Hindu temples in Tamil Nadu?

 There are 75 Vishnu Kshethra out of 108 Divyadesa, revered by Alvars. There are 108 Siva temples revered by Nayanars in the surroundings of Kumbakonam. No need to tell about more than 1000 Siva temples in Tamilnadu. There are six main abodes of Subrahmanya Swami in Tamilnadu with the name Arupadaiveedu. (Where Kumaraswami killed Tarakasura in one place, married Devasena in another place, got Brahmagnana in another place... like that), excluding Marda malai near Coimbatore, with a great temple of Subrahmanya Swami. No need to tell about Kanchi Kamakshi, Madhura Meenakshi like temples which belong to Parvati Mata. Many famous temples of Narasimha Swami are also there in TN.

Every temple and it's Kshethra have a history and legend of which, one can get through Google. We had visited more than 200 temples in Tamilnadu though I am pakka Hyderabadi and a pure Telugu person who doesn't know how to talk and read Tamil. We used only maps to get there and read the history before the trip. Now I tell some interesting facts and rare temples in TN for you, though we have many such temples in our Telugu states also.

Madhura Meenakshi is the sister of Lord Mahavishnu with the name Azhagar or Kalazhagar, Who comes to do marriage ceremony of Meenakshi with Sundareswar every year. Because at first, Mahavishnu did this marriage ceremony of Meenakshi, the daughter of Pandyaraja alongwith Parameswara who came as Sundareswarar to marry her. Azhagar comes here by procession every year from Azhagar Koil, which is also a Divyadesa with a great legend. It takes 2 days to understand the largest temple of Meenakshi and Sundareswarar. This temple has lotus pond, 1000 pillared Mandapam etc…

From Azhagar Koil, we can go uphill to Pazhamudhircholai (one of Subrahmanya Swami's Aruveedu Divyakshathras) and Nupura Gangai. These waters are used for the Brahmothsava of Meenakshi. While going to uphill from Azhagar Koil, turn head to see back the beautiful alaya Sikharam of Azhagar Koil. This Sikharam is called Somasundara Vimanam, brought by Indra. Tirupparakundram (one of Aruveedu) is also in Madurai, where Shanmukha Swami had celestial wedding with Devayani. Tirukkudal, the temple of Kudal Azhagar Perumal is also in Madurai, which is very unique in its style with three storeyed temple where Lord Vishnu lies in sitting, standing and sleeping postures.

Namakkal itself is very special place near Srirangam with Narasimha Swami and Anjaneya Swami temples. While returning from Himalayas to Lanka, a piece of Sanjivani fell from the mount, which had been lifted by Hanuman. Hanuman requested to see Narasimha Swami here. Meanwhile, Lakshmi Devi was doing Tapas to see Narasimha Swami in the same place. So Narasimha Swami appeared for both of them. One can observe very beautiful carvings of Narasimha Swami idols on the hill rock inside the temple. 18 feet Hanuman gives us goosebumps. A grand abhisheka is held to Hanuman for which 1000 eyes are not enough.

If you plan Rameshwaram don't forget to Visit Dharbhasayana (Tiruppulani), where Rama lied down for 3 days praying the Hindu Ocean to make the way to Lanka. The Ramasethu was built afterwards. One can see Rama here in three temples as Jagannatha (standing posture), Dharbhasayana (sleeping posture) and Pattabhisheka Murthi (sitting posture), side by side. One should not forget to bath in the sea at Dhanushkoti. I saw Guruvayurappan in Palani Murugan while watching early morning Abhishek here. Subrahmanya Swami looked like Guruvayoor Krishna.

Kanyakumari, Suchindram, Vaideeswaran Koil, Tirukkadiyur Abhirami temple (where the temple is bustling always with Shashtipurthi couples etc... One can get the lunch also here.), Srimushnam Adi Varaha Swami temple (the first foot of Varaha Swami on the Earth happened here), Siva temples in Kurthalam, Tirunalveli, Papanasam, Sankaran KOil etc.., are very famous temples with a great legend. Wherever you go you find a temple nearby your location. That's it.

Tiruppulani Dharbhasayana Perumal

Namakkal Anjaneyar

Subrahmanya Skandha Shanmukha Kamara Swami in Palani

Madurai Meenakshi

What are some Bollywood untold stories?

 Ok I really wanted to write this answer , maybe our parents knew about these but I just wanted to write about my opinion on this

Before writing my opinions I just want to say absolutely respect all these senior actors who are legendary and do not mean any disrespect .

So apparently Sri devi Mam and Mithun sir married each other in 1985 , while he was already married to his first wife Yogeeta .

And when sri devi came to know about this she annulled the marriage .

I mean how did mithun sir allow himself to marry another woman when he was already committed to his wife . If he was already so much in love with sri devi ji he should have been honest with her and also his wife did not deserve this disrespect.

Shratugan sir had an affair with Reena but then he married Sonakshi's Mom ( Poonam Sinha ) and even after marriage continued the affair with Reena until she got married .

This is what Poonam Sinha wrote about the extra marital affair of her husband :-

“The truth is that I did step aside and gave Reena a clear field, but Shatru didn’t want to marry a girl whose fidelity was in doubt. I was aware that they revived their old romance after our marriage.”

I just want to say if he really loved poonam ji then why did he continue his affair with Reena , I can't even imagine as a woman to have her husband go after another woman.

I think he changed that's why their marriage lasted 😕 and ig he did love poonam ji more coz she was loyal and idk man I just want to say we shouldn't just put celebrities on a pedestal they make many mistakes just as humans . And its quite sad that their personal life is on display .

Did Telugu ever make classy love stories sans skin show or vulgarity like Tamil movie 96?

 Telugu Film Industry or Tollywood is one of the biggest film industries in India. It is prolific and produces films in a variety of genres. Romance is one of the oldest and one of the most popular genres of Tollywood. Few actors like Akkineni Nageshwar Rao, Shoban Babu, Nagarjuna, Uday Kiran are famous for starring in Romantic films.

Some of classy “platonic” love stories made by Telugu film industry are;

Source: Google

#1. Saptapadi (1981)

One of the classic films directed by the legendary K Viswanath, Saptapadi is a story which revolves around the relation between a Brahmin Classical Dancer (Hema) and a Dalit Flutist (Haribabu). It is remembered for its bold take on caste system at a time when the society was still conservative. The relationship between Hema and Haribabu was presented beautifully and there wasn't even a single scene, where Haribabu proposed Hema! The film was later remade in Hindi in 1984 as Jaag Utha Insaan.

Source: Google/IMDB

#2. Sagara Sangamam (1983)

Another cult film made by K Viswanath, Sagara Sangamam chronicles the story of a male classical dancer Balakrishna (portrayed by Kamal Hassan). The story mainly revolves around the character of Balakrishna, but there was a portion where his relationship with Madhavi (portrayed by Jaya Prada) is shown. Balakrishna developed feelings for Madhavi but later discovered that she is married and is seperated from her husband! He gets a chance of marrying Madhavi but chooses to unite Madhavi with her husband. Not completely a romantic film, but the bond between Balakrishna and Madhavi is considered to be platonic and matured.

Source: Google/ The Indian Express

#3. Swathi Mutyam (1986)

The second collaboration of K Viswanath and Kamal Hassan, Swathi Mutyam till date remains the only Telugu film to be sent as India's official entry to Oscars. Swathi Mutyam follows the story of Shivayya (Kamal Hassan) and Lalitha (Radhika). The films chronicles how Shivayya, a person suffering with autism rescues Radhika, a widow from the atrocities of widowhood by marrying her! Except for the song, Manasu Pallike (where both had a romantic intercourse), Shivayya and Lalitha are shown sharing a very deep and platonic relationship with each other.

Source: Google/Reddit

#4. Anand (2004)

One of the most popular romantic film of the modern era, Anand was directed by Shekhar Kammula and was released in 2004. Anand follows the story of Roopa (portrayed by Kamalini Mukherjee) who starts living independently after her family dies in a car accident and Anand (potrayed by Raja Able) who is a rich man, falls in love with her and moves into her neighbourhood to win her over. The film is liked by youngsters and adults alike and is considered to be one of the modern classy love stories of Tollywood.

Source: Google/ Prime Video

#5. Godavari (2006)

The second film directed by Shekhar Kammula after Anand, Godavari follows the story of Ram (potrayed by Sumanth) and Sita (potrayed by Kamalini Mukherjee) who meet under different circumstances in a boat trip to Badrachalam in the river Godavari. It became an industry hit at the time of its release and attained the status of classic over the years.

These are some of the evergreen love stories made in Tollywood.