Indian Mythology Stories You Were Never Told: Mahabharata, Ramayana, Shiva and Krishna
What if the Lord of the universe took a servant’s job? What if Arjuna was struck down by his own son, or Draupadi kept a secret wish for Karna? Freeflow collects 600+ stories from the Mahabharata, Ramayana and the Puranas: the ones your grandmother half-told and the textbooks skipped. Each takes minutes to read, and each one leads to the next.
Stories that will make you stop and wonder
Why did Gandhari curse Krishna?
A grieving mother’s curse that ended a whole dynasty.
Read the story →Who killed Krishna?
A hunter’s arrow, a curse, and the end of an age.
Read the story →Why didn’t Krishna marry Radha?
The love story every Indian knows, and the question it leaves.
Read the story →Humbled by a hunter: Arjuna and Kirata
The hunter who stopped the great archer was actually a God.
Read the story →Why did Kunti abandon Karna?
A boon tested in curiosity, and a newborn set adrift on the river.
Read the story →Why did Parshurama curse Karna?
A bee, a wound, and a lie that cost Karna everything.
Read the story →Festival spotlight: Kartik Amavasya (Diwali)
Sunday, 8 November 2026. The darkest night of the year, when lamps are lit for Lakshmi, Kali, the ancestors, Mahavira and Guru Hargobind.
Coming up: Bhai Dooj and Chitragupta Puja (11 Nov) · Chhath Puja (13-16 Nov) · Dev Uthani Ekadashi and Tulsi Vivah (20-21 Nov)
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Mantras and their meanings
Our most visited pages are mantras. Each one has the text, the meaning and when it is chanted. See all mantras with meaning →
Shiva, Ganesha and Hanuman
Goddess Durga
Vishnu and Krishna
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Mahabharata
Characters, curses and turning points of the great epic.
The Ramayana
Rama’s journey, kand by kand, with pictures.
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Stories, temples and the twelve Jyotirlingas.
Lord Krishna
From Mathura’s childhood leelas to the battlefield.
Lord Hanuman
Strength, devotion and the stories behind them.
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The nine forms of the Goddess, day by day.
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The ten incarnations, each with its story.
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Birth, wit and the 108 names.
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Why we celebrate, and what each day means.
Test yourself: quick mythology quizzes
Five questions each. Tap an answer to see if you are right, and read the story behind it.
1. Who was Karna’s real mother?
Answer: Kunti. Kunti, who had him before her marriage through a boon from Surya and set him afloat on a river. Why did Kunti abandon Karna? →
2. Who stood in front of Arjuna so that Bhishma would lower his bow?
Answer: Shikhandi. Shikhandi, the rebirth of Amba. Bhishma would not fight one he regarded as a woman. The legacy of Bhishma Pitamah →
3. Which son of Arjuna struck him down in battle?
Answer: Babruvahana. Babruvahana, his son by Chitrangada of Manipur, during the Ashvamedha campaign. Arjuna was brought back to life. When Arjuna was killed by his own son →
4. Who wrote down the Mahabharata as Vyasa recited it?
Answer: Ganesha. Lord Ganesha, on the condition that Vyasa never pause. Vyasa and Ganesha: who wrote the Mahabharata →
5. How many days did the Kurukshetra war last?
Answer: 18. Eighteen days, matching the 18 parvas of the epic and the 18 chapters of the Gita. The 18 days of the war →
1. Who was Lakshmana’s wife?
Answer: Urmila. Urmila, Sita’s sister. She stayed back in Ayodhya for the 14 years of exile. 51 surprising Ramayana facts →
2. Which king found Sita in a furrow while ploughing a field?
Answer: Janaka. King Janaka of Mithila, which is why Sita is also called Janaki. Sita swayamvara: how Rama won Sita →
3. Which two brothers fought for the throne of Kishkindha?
Answer: Bali and Sugriva. Bali and Sugriva; Rama helped Sugriva by killing Bali. Bali and Sugriva: a tale of two brothers →
4. Who was Ravana’s chief queen?
Answer: Mandodari. Mandodari, the daughter of the asura architect Maya. 51 surprising Ramayana facts →
5. Who cut off Surpanakha’s nose?
Answer: Lakshmana. Lakshmana, in the Panchavati forest, which set Ravana on the path to abducting Sita. Aranya Kand in pictures →
1. What name did Shiva take when he worked as the poet Vidyapati’s servant?
Answer: Ugna. Ugna. Vidyapati later discovered that his servant was Mahadev himself. Why did Lord Shiva work as a servant? →
2. How many Jyotirlingas of Shiva are there?
Answer: 12. Twelve, from Somnath in Gujarat to Mahakaleshwar in Ujjain. Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga →
3. Who shot the arrow that ended Krishna’s life on earth?
Answer: Jara the hunter. The hunter Jara, who mistook Krishna’s foot for a deer near Prabhasa. Who killed Krishna? →
4. Who was Krishna’s chief queen?
Answer: Rukmini. Rukmini, princess of Vidarbha, the first of his eight principal wives. The wives of Lord Krishna →
5. Which demon did Krishna kill on Naraka Chaturdashi, the day before Diwali?
Answer: Narakasura. Narakasura, freeing the sixteen thousand women he held captive. Naraka Chaturdashi: the story of Narakasura →
Want a longer challenge? Take our full-length quizzes.
The Ultimate Ramayana QuizThe Navratri Quiz
New here? Follow a reading path
Mahabharata in 6 reads
Ramayana in 5 reads
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Subscribe to FreeflowQuestions readers ask
Where should I start if I am new to Indian mythology?
Follow one of the reading paths above, or begin with the ten avatars of Vishnu. Each page links onward to related stories.
Are the stories from the original texts?
They are drawn from the Mahabharata, Ramayana and the Puranas, and where versions differ across regions that is mentioned in the article.
Where can I find mantras with their meanings?
See the mantras section above, for example the Maha Mrityunjay Mantra and eight mantras of Maa Durga.
Is there content in Hindi?
Yes, see the Hindi section or all Hindi articles.
How often is new content added?
New articles are added around festivals such as Navratri, Diwali and Pitru Paksha. Subscribe to hear first.