Who was the first founder of Shwetambar creed during the first partition of Jain creed?
R.A.S./R.T.S. (Pre) 1999
A. Sthulabhadra
B. Bhadrabahu
C. Kalakacharya
D. Deverdhi Kshama Sharaman
Answer: Sthulabhadra
Option a is the correct answer.
During the rule of Chandragupta Maurya, there's a story in Jain tradition about Acharya Bhadrabahu. He predicted a twelve-year-long famine and went to Karnataka with his followers. Meanwhile, Sthulabhadra, a student of Acharya Bhadrabahu, stayed in Magadha. When the followers of Acharya Bhadrabahu returned, they saw that those who stayed in Magadha had started wearing white clothes. This was different from those who stayed naked, and it created a disagreement. This is how Jains believe the division between Digambara and Svetambara began. The Digambara followers stayed naked while the Svetambara followers started wearing white clothes. The Digambara followers believed that this went against the Jain principle of aparigraha, which means not even having possessions like clothes. They believed in complete nudity. In the 5th century CE, the Svetambara organized the Council of Valabhi, but the Digambara didn't participate. During this council, the Svetambara made the texts they had preserved into official scriptures, which the Digambara have rejected ever since. This event made the split between these two important Jain traditions more solidified in history.