Here is the simple Jain view of what happened after Lord Mahavira “left” (attained Nirvana):

• Lord Mahavira attained Nirvana at Pawapuri on the night of Kartik Amavasya. His soul became a Siddha and forever resides at the top of the universe (Siddha‑śilā). This night is remembered as Deepavali by Jains.

• Just after Mahavira’s Nirvana, his chief disciple (Gaṇadhara) Gautam Swami attained Keval‑jñāna (omniscience). He then guided the fourfold Saṅgha (monks, nuns, laymen, laywomen).

• The early disciples preserved Mahavira’s teachings (Śruta). For some generations there were Śruta‑Kevalīs (masters who knew the complete canon).

• In later centuries, due to time and calamities, parts of the original canon were lost or reorganized:

- Śvetāmbara tradition: says councils were held to preserve the scriptures, and a major compilation occurred at Valabhi (5th–6th century CE). - Digambara tradition: holds that the original Aṅgas were lost; later authoritative texts like Ṣaṭkhaṇḍāgama and Kaṣāyapāhuḍa became central.

• A great famine led Ācārya Bhadrabāhu and many monks (with Emperor Chandragupta Maurya as a lay follower) to migrate south to Karnataka. Over time, practices evolved differently in regions, and two main traditions took shape:

- Digambara: sky‑clad mendicancy for advanced monks; holds that the original Aṅgas are lost. - Śvetāmbara: white‑clad mendicancy; preserves an Aṅga‑based canon. Both equally accept the Tīrthaṅkaras, the Ratnatraya (Right Faith, Right Knowledge, Right Conduct), Ahiṃsā, and the path to liberation.

• The Jain Saṅgha continued to grow across India, building temples and organizing monastic lineages, always keeping Mahavira’s path of non‑violence, self‑discipline, and meditation at the center.

If you want a gentle overview of Mahavira, Gautam Swami, Nirvana, and the Jain path, you can read more here: