Here is the simple Jain account in brief:

• The snake story: As a child, Vardhamana (the future Mahavira) is said to have saved his playmates from a poisonous snake without harming the snake. Impressed by his compassion and fearlessness, the snake is said to have blessed him and left a strong impression that he would grow up to be a great, fearless spiritual seeker. This legend is one of the well-known childhood deeds that contributed to his later epithet Mahavira, “the great hero.”

• Why he is called Mahavir:

- In many Jain texts (notably the Kalpa-sutra in Śvetāmbara tradition), the gods give him the title Mahavira, meaning “great hero,” because he remained steadfast and fearless in the face of dangers, hardships, and temptations as he pursued truth and liberation. - His birth name was Vardhamāna, which is often glossed as “one who grows” or “the growing one,” reflecting the prosperity of his kingdom at his birth.

• About the name Vardhamana and Mahavira in different traditions:

- Śvetāmbara and Digambara sources agree that Vardhamāna was his birth name and that Mahavira is an epithet meaning “great hero.” The exact narrative details (like the snake-story and certain events from his childhood) can vary between Śvetāmbara and Digambara texts, but both traditions uphold the core idea of his extraordinary courage, compassion, and renunciation. - The essence is that Vardhamāna became Mahavira after attaining kevala jnana (omniscience) and began teaching the Jain path.

If you’d like, I can share a concise, traditional verse (stotra) that praises Mahavira’s qualities, or outline how the Digambara and Śvetāmbara texts differ on specific episodes. You can read more about Mahavira’s life and meanings in related Jain texts.