Vardhaman (Mahavira) And The Monster

ONE AFTERNOON, PRINCE VARDHAMAN 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 VARDHAMAN ALSO CAUGHT THE NEW CHILD. VARDHAMAN ALSO RODE ON HIS BACK.

(A FEW MINUTES LATER)

WHILE VARDHAMAN WAS ON HIS BACK, THE CHILD STARTED TO GROW BIGGER AND TALLER. AT FIRST, VARDHAMAN’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, VARDHAMAN REMAINED CALM AND BRAVE. THE MONSTER KEPT GROWING VERY TALL SO VARDHAMAN HIT THE MONSTER IN THE HEAD WITH HIS FIST. THE MONSTER TRIED TO THROW VARDHAMAN OFF HIS BACK TO AVOID THE PAIN, BUT HE COULD NOT SUCCEED.

ULTIMATELY THE MONSTER GAVE UP AND ASKED FOR FORGIVENESS. VARDHAMAN FORGAVE THE MONSTER. THE MONSTER CALLED HIM “MAHAVIRA”, WHICH MEANS STRONG ONE. SINCE THEN, PRINCE VARDHAMAN WAS CALLED MAHAVIRA.

Questions:

1) What game were they playing?

2) Did anyone else join their game?

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

4) What did Vardhaman do to the monster?

5) Why is Vardhaman called Mahavira?