Within Balinese Hinduism, social life is traditionally ordered through a fourfold hierarchy known as Catur Wangsa or warna, which echoes the Indian varna scheme yet has taken on a distinctly Balinese character. At the apex stands the Brahmana, the priestly stratum, entrusted with sacred knowledge and the performance of major rituals and ceremonies. This group embodies religious authority and is closely associated with the preservation of scriptural learning and liturgical correctness. Their role highlights how spiritual responsibility and ritual purity form the primary axis of status in this system, more than economic power alone.

Below the Brahmana are the Ksatriya, or Satria, historically the ruling and warrior class. They comprise kings, princes, nobles, and other figures of political leadership, charged with governance and protection of the realm. Their authority is expressed not only in formal power but also in the etiquette of address and the honorific titles that surround Balinese nobility. The presence of this stratum shows how worldly rule and sacred order are intertwined, with temporal leadership understood as part of a larger cosmic hierarchy.

The third level is the Wesia or Waisya, associated with merchants, traders, administrators, and certain officials. This group has traditionally been involved in commerce, management, and middle-level governance, forming a bridge between the noble houses and the wider populace. Although smaller in number than the lowest stratum, their role in economic and administrative life gives them a distinct place in the social fabric. Their position illustrates how material exchange and social organization are integrated into the religiously inflected hierarchy.

The Sudra, also called Jaba, constitute the broad base of Balinese society and include farmers, artisans, laborers, and most common professions. This group represents the majority of the population and shows the system’s grounding in everyday agricultural and craft life. While their ritual status is lower, Sudras can be economically successful and influential, and all castes participate together in village councils (banjar) with a relatively equal voice in local affairs. In this way, the hierarchy of ritual purity coexists with a more participatory social reality at the village level.

Across all four strata, caste identity is signaled strongly through names, titles, and forms of address, and this symbolic dimension often matters more than strict occupational separation. The main practical effects appear in ritual contexts: temple hierarchies, seating arrangements, leadership in ceremonies, and expectations around marriage. Intermarriage between castes occurs, though it has been traditionally discouraged and surrounded by particular norms and obligations. Over time, education, changing economic conditions, and evolving social values have made the system less rigid in daily life, even as its ritual and symbolic logic continues to shape Balinese self-understanding.