antya varṇa

 Antyavarṇa means a person of the lowest varṇa, traditionally identified with a Śūdra, in Sanskrit social classification.

✅ Core Sanskrit meaning

• Antyavarṇa (अन्त्यवर्ण) is a compound of antya (“last, lowest”) + varṇa (“class, order, caste”).
• Sanskrit dictionaries define it as “a man or woman of the lowest caste, a Śūdra”

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• It appears as both masculine and feminine forms (‑rṇaḥ / ‑rṇā), meaning a Śūdra male or female

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✅ Broader social context

• The term refers to those belonging to the fourth varṇa in the classical four‑fold system (Brahmin, Kṣatriya, Vaiśya, Śūdra)

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• Related terms include antyaja, which in Dharmaśāstra and epic literature refers to groups considered even lower or marginal, but antyavarṇa itself specifically denotes the Śūdra varṇa

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✅ Kannada meaning (regional usage)

The Kannada dictionary notes two meanings for aṃtyavarṇa

Wisdom Library

:

• The last letter of the alphabet.
• The lowest caste.
  This aligns with the Sanskrit sense of “last / lowest.”

✅ Distinguishing from antahkaraṇa

Some search results concern antahkaraṇa, a completely different Sanskrit term meaning the inner instrument / mind

yogajala

. It is not related to antya varṇa despite superficial similarity in spelling.

✅ Summary

Antya varṇa / Antyavarṇa =

• Literal: “last/lowest class.”
• Primary meaning: a Śūdra, the fourth varṇa in Sanskrit social theory

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• Regional (Kannada): also “last letter of the alphabet”

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