Answer

The basic difference between Śvetāmbara and Digambara Jain sects is mainly in monastic discipline, clothing, and some scriptural beliefs.

• Śvetāmbara means “white-clad”. Their monks and nuns wear white clothes.
• Digambara means “sky-clad”. Their monks follow the ideal of complete renunciation, and traditionally do not wear clothes.

Explanation

Here are the main differences in simple terms:

• Clothing

- Śvetāmbara monks/nuns wear white garments. - Digambara monks do not wear clothes as part of total renunciation.

• Monastic practice

- Both aim for non-attachment, austerity, and liberation. - Digambara practice is generally more strict in outward renunciation.

• Scriptures

- Śvetāmbaras accept the Jain Āgamas as preserved. - Digambaras believe the original complete scriptures were lost over time.

• Women and liberation

- Śvetāmbaras accept that women can attain liberation. - Digambaras traditionally hold that a woman must be reborn as a man before final liberation.

How Śvetāmbara evolved

According to commonly accepted Jain historical understanding, the Jain community was originally one. Over time, differences gradually developed in practice, discipline, and scriptural preservation.

A simple traditional-historical outline is:

• After the time of Bhagwan Mahāvīra, Jain monks followed strict renunciation.
• Later, during a great famine in North India, Jain ascetics were separated geographically.
• One stream of monks preserved the tradition in the north and later accepted white clothing and the written preservation of scriptures.
• Another stream maintained the ideal of complete nudity for monks and later became known as Digambara.

When did Śvetāmbara emerge?

The exact date is not fixed with certainty, because Jain historical traditions and later historical studies do not always give the same timeline.

But in general:

• The division became gradual, not sudden.
• It is usually understood to have become clearly visible over the early centuries after Mahāvīra.
• By about the early centuries CE, the distinction between Śvetāmbara and Digambara had become well established.
• The Śvetāmbara scriptural tradition was later formally organized in the Valabhī council tradition, usually placed around the 5th century CE.

Spiritual Understanding

Both sects share the same core Jain goal:

• Ahiṃsā
• Aparigraha
• Self-discipline
• Karma bondage reduction
• Liberation of the soul

So the difference is mainly in tradition, discipline, and interpretation, not in the fundamental Jain aim of liberation.

Takeaway

In short:

• Śvetāmbara = white-clad Jain tradition
• Digambara = unclothed Jain monastic tradition
• The split developed gradually after Mahāvīra, and became clearly established over the early centuries of Jain history

If you want, I can also give you a very short comparison table of Śvetāmbara vs Digambara.