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Buddhist scriptures it becomes clear that before Mahāvīra the tradition of Nirgranthas or Sramanas was of the followers of Pärsvanātha who were either totally naked or partly (scantily) clad. [1; p.38-42]. Further, Pārsva's sangha included Ajīvakas who observed total nudity. [7; p. 401]. Sve. scriptures clearly depict that Mahāvīra's sangha included both naked (jinakalpī) and one-clothed (sthavira-kalpi) monks, both having equal right to mokşa (emancipation). These Agamic works depict Rşabha and Mahāvīra as naked and all other Tīrthamkaras as partly clad. Thus two camps of naked and scantily clad monks must have existed long before Mahavira, each trying to plead its superiority. [8; p. 101].
Buddhist scriptures describe as to how after Nirvana of Mahāvīra there was great rift between various camps of Mahāvīra's followers. [9; 276] [10; p. 8).. Sve. Agamas also corroborate this by pointing out that heads of 36 republics and kingdoms gathered then at Pāvā and Choqse Sudharmā (instead of Gautama) to lead the Sangha. Some scholars conjecture that Gautama may be a staunch supporter of nudity, while Sudharmā, although naked, must be a moderate having no insistence on nudity. This is probably why the Heads of states preferred Sudharmā to head the organization of Mahāvīra. But how to ignore Gautama, the chief disciple (first among 11 ganadharas) of Mahāvīra? Both Sve. and Dig. scriptures came out of this dilemma by declaring that the day Mahāvīra attained emancipation and departed from his mortal body, Gautama attained enlightenment (kevalajñāna). So, naturally, he could not lead the sangha and thus both the sects agree that Sudharmā became the head of Mahāvīra's sangha. This, therefore, must be beginning of dissension in 527 B.C. [11; foreword, p. xii, xiii].
It appears from Sve. scripture Avasyaka Cūrņi that jinakalpa (nudity) was followed up to Arya Rakṣita (1® C. A.D.). It also mentions that Arya Mahāgiri (c. 250 B.C.) was jinakalpī. Between these two masters was Arya Vajra, Guru of Arya Raksita, who also must be jinakalpī. Arya Vajra's two disciples Arya Mankşu and Nāgahasti must also be so since they are held in great esteem by Dig.s too, who believe that they learned Kaşāya Pāhuda (Dig.s treat it as their Agama) from Dig. Acārya Gunadhara and passed it on to Yativrşabha, the celebrated author of Cūrņi Sūtras on Kaşāya Pāhuda and Tiloyapannatti. [4; part 12, p. 231-232). Gradually the differences must have widened and by 2nd C. A.D. the division might have been formalized. This is also evidenced by agreement of date of schism from Sve. version of Jinabhadra (5/6th C. A.D.) of origination of Dig. sect and Dig. version of Devasena (10th C. A.D.) of origination of Sve. sect as 2nd C. A.D.
Even then the differences must not have come in way of harmonious coexistence or must not have been so acute as to convert them into hatred as it happened slowly and gradually. There was the powerful sect among Jainas called Ājivakas whose saints observed complete nudity and took their food through 3160H, 23(3), 2011
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