Digambar Jain tradition ki shuruat ki kahani do mukhya raayen se aati hai:

• Digambaras ki soch ke mutabik, Digambar Jain sabse pehle Mahavira ke sangathan the. Bhadrabahu ke samay mein jo 12-sal ki akāla bhukh-pīḍā aayi thi, tab ek hisaaya sangh central India se bhag gaya tha aur west/ Rajasthan ki or chala gaya. Wahan se Digambara parampara bani, jo kapdon ke bina anushthan aur sabhi sampatti se alag rehne ki vrata ki pratishtha banaye rakhta hai. Is drishtikon ke mutabik, Digambara parampara asli Mahavira ki sangha thi.

• Śvetāmbara ki drishti se, Digambara baad ki utpatti hai: Mahavira ke baad kuch sādhu “Botika” ya Sivabhuti jaise ek manuṣhya ke dwara nirmaan ki gayi ek alag shākh bani. Śvetāmbara kehte hain ki is vibhajan ki wajah kapdon pehene ki sanskar râsh aur śrutā ko lekar vivād the. Is kahani ke anusar, Digambar parampara ko 1st century CE ke aas-paas sthapit kiya gaya tha.

Saransh:

• Digambara ki r vertu ke mutabik, ve asal Jain samudaay the jo Mahavira ki shiksha ko bina kapdon, bina sampatti ke jeene ki vrata ke saath aage le gaye.
• Śvetāmbara ki kahani ke mutabik, Digambara parampara ko baad me ek nayi shakha ke roop me sthapit kiya gaya tha, Sivabhuti ki kahani se juda hua.

Dharma ki asli bhavna aur shuddh uddeshya ko bani rakhte hue, dono shakhaayein apni-apni patravyavastha, shruti-pustakon ki pratijñaa aur sampradāyaik anushashan me alag-alag arthon ko maanti hain.