Pañcamas

By Swami Harshananda

Pañcamas literally means ‘those who belong to the fifth caste’.

The four varṇas into which the society was divided is well-known. Certain castes which were considered as outside this category, were relegated to the ‘fifth’ place. Almost all those who have been listed among the Scheduled Castes and Tribes in the country come under this category.

References

• The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore