法苑珠林 3.50

3.50

問曰。諸天貴賤云何。答初欲界六天皆有貴賤。以有君臣民庶妻妾別故。如帝釋天中。帝釋為君。三十二天為臣。自餘天眾是民。女中悅意夫人是后。諸餘天女是妾。自餘五天類皆如此。色界之中唯局初禪三天有貴有賤。大梵是君。梵輔是臣。梵眾是民。自此已上諸天受報同等。更無貴賤也。

Question: What are the nobility and baseness of the devas like? Answer: First, the six heavens of the desire realm all have noble and base, because there are distinctions between ruler, minister, commoner, wife, and concubine. For example, in Śakra's heaven, Śakra is the ruler, the thirty-two devas are ministers, and the remaining host of devas are commoners. Among women, Lady Yueyi (Pramodā) is queen, and the other celestial maidens are concubines. The other five heavens are all analogous to this. In the form realm, this is confined only to the three heavens of the first dhyāna having noble and base: Mahābrahmā is ruler, Brahmapurohita is minister, and Brahmapāriṣadya is commoner. From here upwards, the retributions of the devas are equal, with no further nobility or baseness.