Vardhaman (Mahavira) And The Monster

ONE AFTERNOON, PRINCE VARDHAMÄN WAS PLAYING A CATCH AND RIDE GAME WITH HIS FRIENDS. THE PERSON WHO WON WOULD GET TO RIDE ON THE BACK OF THE LOSER. A NEW CHILD JOINED THEIR GAME. THIS CHILD WAS EASY TO CATCH, AND HE LOST EVERY TIME. ALMOST EVERY CHILD GOT TO RIDE ON HIS BACK. PRINCE VARDHAMÄN ALSO CAUGHT THE NEW CHILD. VARDHAMÄN ALSO RODE ON HIS BACK.

(A FEW MINUTES LATER)

WHILE VARDHAMÄN WAS ON HIS BACK, THE CHILD STARTED TO GROW BIGGER AND TALLER. AT FIRST, VARDHAMÄN'S FRIENDS WATCHED THIS WITH CURIOSITY. LATER WHEN THE CHILD'S FACE BEGAN TO TURN WEIRD, THE CHILDREN GOT SCARED AND STARTED TO RUN AWAY IN PANIC. SOME CHILDREN CLIMBED UP THE TREES WHILE OTHERS RAN TO TELL THEIR PARENTS. DURING ALL OF THIS, VARDHAMÄN REMAINED CALM AND BRAVE. THE MONSTER KEPT GROWING VERY TALL SO VARDHAMÄN HIT THE MONSTER IN THE HEAD WITH HIS FIST. THE MONSTER TRIED TO THROW VARDHAMÄN OFF HIS BACK TO AVOID THE PAIN, BUT HE COULD NOT SUCCEED.

ULTIMATELY THE MONSTER GAVE UP AND ASKED FOR FORGIVENESS. VARDHAMÄN FORGAVE THE MONSTER. THE MONSTER CALLED HIM "MAHÄVIRA", WHICH MEANS STRONG ONE. SINCE THEN, PRINCE VARDHAMÄN WAS CALLED MAHÄVIRA.

Questions:

1) What game were they playing?

2) Did anyone else join their game?

3) What did the new child do when Vardhamän rode on his back?

4) What did Vardhamän do to the monster?

5) Why is Vardhamän called Mahävira?