Here is the basic, Jain-Dharma–pure difference between Śvetāmbara Terapanth and Śvetāmbara Sthānakavāsī:

• Identity and aim

- Śvetāmbara Terapanth: A reformist Śvetāmbara order started to restore strict monastic discipline and a highly organized governing structure under one Acharya. It emphasizes inner purification, disciplined conduct, and a path guided by canonical vows and samitis, with a strong focus on meditative and ethical practice. They practice bhava-pūjā (contemplation of virtuous qualities) rather than image worship. Different from other Śvetāmbara groups by its centralized leadership and meticulous code of conduct for monks and lay followers. - Śvetāmbara Sthānakavāsī: A Śvetāmbara sub-tradition that rejects idol worship and temples, emphasizing meditation, study, and ethical living in places called sthanakas (prayer halls) rather than temples. They stress ascetic discipline and the Mahāvīra teachings as lived in daily practice, often with a more icon-less worship approach than other Śvetāmbara groups.

• Worship and sacred space

- Terapanth: Murti-pūjā (idol worship) is not the focus; spiritual aspiration is cultivated through contemplation of virtuous qualities and the exemplary life of Jain Tirthankaras. Monastic life is highly organized under an Acharya. - Sthānakavāsī: Do not practice temple-based idol worship at all; gathering and rituals occur in sthanakas. They foreground mental or internal worship (bhāva-pūjā) and the study of Jain scriptures, with a distinctive emphasis on non-idolatrous practice.

• Scriptures and canonical stance

- Terapanth: Align with Śvetāmbara scriptures but organize monastic life around a single guiding teacher and a structured monastic order. - Sthānakavāsī: Accept a version of the Śvetāmbara canon and generally recognize a fixed set of scriptures; they maintain a more icon-free, temple-free form of practice.

• Daily life and monastic code

- Terapanth: Very strict, centralized monastic governance; emphasis on discipline, self-control, and service to the community through teaching and welfare activities. - Sthānakavāsī: Emphasize simple, austere living, moral conduct, and meditation; avoid temples and idol rites, with distinctive practices like mouth covering by monks.

• Historical note

- Terapanth and Sthānakavāsī both belong to Śvetāmbara Jainism, but Terapanth arose as a reform to address laxities in other Śvetāmbara groups, while Sthānakavāsī formed as a parallel reform movement centered on non-idolatry and independent monastic practice.

If you’d like, I can give you the core quotes or ritual descriptions from the traditional texts that illustrate these differences, in a simple, plain-language rendering.