法苑珠林 3.42

3.42

問曰。諸天僕乘云何。答曰。如經說云。如欲界六天有僕乘。僕謂僕從。乘謂騎乘。以六欲天皆有君臣妻妾尊卑上下。卑必從尊。下必隨上。乘者以六欲天皆有雜類畜生。諸天欲游隨意乘之。或乘象馬。或乘孔雀。或乘諸龍。若依婆沙論說。忉利天已下具有象馬鳧雁鴛鴦孔雀龍等。自焰摩天已上悉無象馬四足眾生。唯有教放逸鳥實語鳥赤水鳥等。訶責諸天誡不放逸。

Question: What are the servants and mounts of the devas like? Answer: As the sūtra states: The six heavens of the desire realm have servants and mounts. 'Servants' refers to attendants, and 'mounts' refers to riding mounts. Because in the six desire heavens there are rulers and ministers, wives and concubines, noble and base, high and low, the base must attend upon the noble, and the low must follow the high. As for 'mounts', because the six desire heavens have various animals, when the devas wish to roam, they mount them as they please, sometimes riding elephants or horses, sometimes peacocks, or various dragons. According to the *Vibhāṣā-śāstra*, from Trāyastriṃśa downward, they fully possess elephants, horses, ducks, wild geese, mandarin ducks, peacocks, dragons, and the like. From the Yāma Heaven upward, there are entirely no four-footed creatures such as elephants or horses; there are only birds that admonish negligence, truth-speaking birds, red-water birds, and the like, which reproach the devas and admonish them against negligence.