• The exact year of the split between Digambara and Śvetāmbara is not fixed in Jain scriptures. Traditional accounts place the division in the distant past, with a major turning point during the era of Bhadrabāhu and the famine in Magadha (roughly in the 4th–3rd centuries BCE in many traditional retellings), and the schism becoming more clearly defined over the next couple of centuries. A key later event often cited is the Vallabhi Council around 454–466 CE, where Śvetāmbara monks gathered and their canonical texts were compiled; Digambaras reject these texts as authentic. This is why most historians say the two streams were already distinct by the early centuries CE, and the full formal split was solidified by the 5th century CE. ( jainknowledge.com, jainpedia.org, en.wikipedia.org)

• Important nuances:

- Śvetāmbara tradition generally emphasizes that the original scriptures were preserved and later codified at Vallabhi (around the 5th century CE). Digambaras, however, maintain that those texts are not authentic, and they trace the divergence to earlier events during the famine and subsequent migrations. This leads to different views on scriptures, monastic dress, and martyrdom practices. ( jainknowledge.com, en.wikipedia.org) - Some traditional timelines put the initial discussions and boundary-drawing between the two orders in the 4th–3rd centuries BCE, with the formal consolidation of differences in the ensuing centuries. The exact dating differs between Digambara and Śvetāmbara accounts. ( en.wikipedia.org)

• For a concise, student-friendly summary from Jain tradition sources, you can read:

- Why were sects like digambar and shwetambar created? (overview of causes and timing) - How was jainishm divided (simple timeline, including c. 300–200 BCE famine and Vallabhi council) - Which is older Digambar or swetambar? (summary of the two traditions’ claims and the general dating)

Notes:

• Digambara and Śvetāmbara have different scripts, practices, and doctrinal emphases, and they present different dates for key events depending on tradition. The core Jain path—ahimsa, aparigraha, anekantavada—remains the same across both.