Did tirthankars wear clothes after Diksha
Short answer:
- Digambara tradition: Tirthankaras are naked after dīkṣā (renunciation).
- Śvetāmbara tradition: Tirthankaras may wear simple clothes for a period after renunciation, and some depictions of Tirthankaras show them clothed.
Explanation (in brief):
- Digambaras hold that the perfect renouncer becomes sky-clad (nagna) and remains naked as a sign of complete non-attachment.
- Śvetāmbaras allow clothes for lay-level renunciation steps, and scriptural accounts mention Mahāviira wore clothes for about a year and a month after renunciation before going naked; later images in this tradition can be shown clothed or unclothed depending on the context. This reflects the two traditions’ different interpretations of how strictly clothing is avoided for liberation.