what is the difference between shwetamar and degambar jains?
Here are the main, traditional differences between Digambar and Śvetāmbara Jains, kept simple and faithful to Jain Dharma:
- Clothing and renunciation
- Digambaras: monks (munis) renounce all clothes (sky-clad). Nuns wear white robes. This naked renunciation is a defining mark for their monastic code. You can read more here
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jainknowledge.com)
- Śvetāmbaras: both monks and nuns wear simple white clothes. Their emphasis on dress is a key visible difference. You can read more here
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jainknowledge.com)
- Digambaras: traditionally teach that women must be reborn as men to attain moksha; complete renunciation (including nudity for monks) is part of the path to liberation. You can read more here
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jainknowledge.com)
- Śvetāmbaras: teach that women can attain liberation in their own life as women; both sexes can pursue the path to kevala jnana/practice. You can read more here
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jainknowledge.com)
- Scriptures and canonical status
- Digambaras: maintain that the original canonical texts were lost and have their own set of scriptures (e.g., Ṣaṭkhaṇḍāgama, Kasāyapāhuda). You can read more here
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jainknowledge.com)
- Śvetāmbaras: accept the Agamas as their canonical scriptures and preserve a broader canon including Angas and related literature. You can read more here
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jainknowledge.com)
- Images and worship in temples
- Digambaras: images (murti) are less elaborately decorated in many contexts; some practices emphasize bare or minimal iconography in certain sub-traditions. You can read more here
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jainknowledge.com)
- Śvetāmbaras: images are commonly decorated and venerated in temples; murti-pūja (idol worship) is a central practice in many sub-traditions. You can read more here
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jainknowledge.com)
- Sub-sects and monastic leadership
- Both traditions have multiple sub-sects, but Śvetāmbara sub-sects (like Murtipujaka, Sthānakavāsī, Terāpanthī) and Digambara sub-sects (like Bisāpanthī, Terapanth) reflect differences in practices and leadership. You can read more here
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jainknowledge.com)
If you want, I can point you to specific JainKnowledge pages for deeper reading on each point.