Here are the main Jain scriptures and texts that describe the life of Bhagwan Mahavir:

1. Ācāranga Sūtra (Acharang Sutra) – Śvetāmbara Āgama

- One of the oldest Jain scriptures. - Describes Mahavir’s life as a monk: his dikshā (renunciation), travels, austerities, hardships, and his ahimsā in practice. - Very important if you want to understand how Mahavir actually lived as an ascetic.

1. Bhagavatī Sūtra (Vyākhyāprajñapti) – Śvetāmbara Āgama

- Contains many dialogues of Mahavir with his chief disciple, Gautam Swami. - From these question–answer sections, we get many incidents from his life and his teaching style.

1. Kalpa Sūtra – Śvetāmbara canonical text used in Paryushan

- Has a special section called “Mahavir Charitra” (life of Mahavir). - Describes: - His previous births (janmantar katha) - Chyavan Kalyāṇak (conception), Janma Kalyāṇak (birth) - Childhood, youth, marriage (according to Śvetāmbara tradition) - Dikshā, 12½ years of sādhanā, Keval-jñān, and Moksha. - This is the most commonly read life-sketch of Mahavir in Śvetāmbara tradition.

1. Uttarādhyayana Sūtra – Śvetāmbara Āgama

- Mainly a collection of Mahavir’s teachings, but also gives context and small incidents from his life and interactions with disciples.

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Digambara Traditional Texts on Mahavir’s Life

Digambaras do not accept the Śvetāmbara Āgamas in the same way, but they have their own biographical and Purāṇic texts:

1. Mahāpurāṇa (esp. Uttara Purāṇa) – by Āchārya Guṇabhadra

- Contains a detailed Tirthankar–charitra, including Mahavir. - Describes his kalyāṇaks, spiritual practices, and preaching.

1. Other Digambara Charitra Granths

- Various later “Mahavir Charitra” and Jinvani texts in Prakrit/Sanskrit/Apabhraṁśa and also in modern Indian languages (e.g., Hindi/Kannada) narrate his life, based on older Digambara traditions.

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Differences in Śvetāmbara and Digambara Narrations

In essence, both traditions agree on the main spiritual events:

• He is the 24th Tirthankar of current time-cycle.
• Born at Kshatriyakund to Siddharth Raja and Trishalā Rani.
• Practised intense austerities, attained Keval‑jñān, and finally Moksha at Pāvāpurī.

But there are some differences:

• Marriage: Śvetāmbaras say Mahavir married (Princess Yashodā) and had a daughter; Digambaras usually say he remained unmarried.
• Clothing: Śvetāmbaras accept a short period of wearing a divine cloth after dikshā; Digambaras emphasize complete nudity (dig-ambar) as essential, including for Mahavir after very short time.
• Exact details like duration of certain events, age, and some minor incidents.

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If you want a simple narrative overview of Mahavir Bhagwan’s life (not in original Prakrit/Sanskrit, but easy to read), you can refer to an article on his Janma Kalyāṇak and life events here: