Paad vihari and ekal vihari are terms used to describe how Jain monks sometimes travel and practice, in simple words:

• Paad vihari (पादvihari): literally “foot-traveling.” This refers to monks who travel on foot as they go from place to place, often for alms and to teach or spread the Dharma. It emphasizes the outward journey and active wandering as part of their spiritual practice.

• Ekal vihari (एकल vihari): literally “solitary travel/practice.” This describes a monk who travels or practices in a more solitary manner, sometimes alone or with a very small group, focusing on intense, personal tapas (austerities) and meditation.

Notes:

• In Jain tradition, both modes are compatible with the antaray (monastic) discipline, and different orders (Digambar and Śvetāmbar) may have slightly different emphasis or phrasing in their rules and lore, but the core idea is about the manner of travel and practice.
• The essential Jain goal remains detachment, self-control, and the purification of the soul; the exact mode of travel is a means to that end rather than an end in itself.

If you’d like, I can provide the authentic Sanskrit/Pali terms and a brief, traditional meaning for each term as found in Jain scriptures, or point you to a JainKnowledge.com resource that explains monastic practices in detail.