 Whereas the Brahmanical texts speak of the four-fold "varna" system, the Buddhist texts present an alternative picture of the society, stratified along the lines of "jati", "kula" and occupation.It is likely that the "varna" system, while being a part of the Brahmanical ideology, was not practically operative in the society.In the Buddhist texts, Brahmin and Kshatriya are described as "jatis" rather than "varnas".