Jain dharm ke do pramukh sampraday hain—Shwetambar aur Digambar. In dono sampradayon ka vikas Jain dharm ke itihas mein Mahavir Swami ke nirvana ke baad, lagbhag 2-3 shatabdi ke andar hua tha.

Digambar sampraday ke anusar, unka sampraday prachin hai aur pratham hai; ve apne aap ko Mahavir Swami ke samay se chalta hua maante hain. Vahi Shwetambar sampraday bhi apne aap ko prachin aur mool dhara maante hain. Lekin, Jain aagam aur itihaas ke anusaar, Mahavir Swami ke samay mein koi vibhajan nahi tha. Ye vibhajan unke nirvana ke kai varshon baad paristithiyon ke anusar hua.

Isliye, Shwetambar aur Digambar dono ka mool ek hi hai, parantu samay ke saath inme vibhajan hua. Itihaasik taur par, dono sampradayon ka udgam Mahavir Swami ke samay ke baad hua, aur yeh spasht nahi hai ki kaun pahle aaya. Dono apni apni parampara aur manyataon ke anusaar apne ko prachin maante hain.

Saaransh: Dono sampradayon ka mool Mahavir Swami ka samay hai, vibhajan baad mein hua, isliye nishchit roop se kehna kathin hai ki kaun pahle aaya.