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  • Different types of Jains. Digamber, Swetamber, stathankwasi , deravasi
  • author Posted by
    Jain Follower

    Different types of Jains. Digamber, Swetamber, stathankwasi , deravasi

    12 months ago 227

    Here is a simple map of the main Jain groups you mentioned.

    • Two major sects
    - Digambar (sky-clad): monks traditionally do not wear clothes; followers have their own scriptures and practices. Sub-sects include Bisapanthi, Terapanthi (Digambar), and others. ( jainknowledge.com) - Śvetāmbara (white-clad): monks and nuns wear white clothing; they accept a different canon of Jain scriptures. Sub-sects include Murtipūjak (Deravasi), Sthānakavāsī, and Terapanthi. ( jainknowledge.com)
    • Śvetāmbara sub-sects
    - Murtipūjak (Deravasi): worship idols (murtis) in temples; standard temple rituals. Also called Deravasi. ( jainknowledge.com) - Sthānakavāsī (Stānakavāsī): reject idol worship and temple rituals; gather in simple halls called sthanaks; emphasize meditation and scriptural study. ( jainknowledge.com) - Terapanthi: founded as a reform movement; non-idolatrous; centralized leadership under a single Acharya; focus on discipline and meditation. ( jainknowledge.com)
    • Digambar sub-sects (examples given in sources)
    - Bisapanthi, Terapanthi (Digambar), Taranapanthi, Gumanapanthi, etc. (various reform or regional lines within Digambar.) ( jainknowledge.com)

    If you’d like, I can share short summaries in simple terms for each sub-sect and note where Digambar and Śvetāmbara histories diverge. You can read more here , or see explanations comparing these groups here .

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