What are the "seven stations of consciousness" supposed to mean?

[DN 15](https://suttacentral.net/dn15/en/sujato) & also [AN 7.44 exclusively](https://suttacentral.net/an7.44/en/sujato?layout=linebyline&reference=none¬es=asterisk&highlight=false&script=latin) include the utterance of the "seven stations of consciousness", where the later six equate with the six of the eight jhanas, namely: > *1. There are sentient beings that are diverse in body (kāyā) and diverse in perception (saññino), such as human beings, some gods (devā) and > some beings in the underworld.* > > *2. There are sentient beings that are diverse in body and unified in perception, such as the gods reborn (ābhinibbattā) in Brahmā’s Group (**brahmakāyikā**) > through the first absorption* > > *3. There are sentient beings that are unified in body and diverse in perception, such as the gods of streaming radiance (**ābhassarā**).* > > *4. There are sentient beings that are unified in body and unified in perception, such as the gods replete with glory (**subhakiṇhā**).* > > *5. There are sentient beings that have gone totally beyond perceptions of form (rūpa). With the ending of perceptions of impingement, not > focusing on perceptions of diversity, aware that ‘space is infinite’, > they have been reborn (upagā) in the dimension of **infinite space**.* > > *6. There are sentient beings that have gone totally beyond the dimension of infinite space. Aware that ‘consciousness is infinite’, they have > been reborn (upagā) in the dimension of **infinite consciousness**.* > > *7. There are sentient beings that have gone totally beyond the dimension of infinite consciousness. Aware that ‘there is nothing at all’, they > have been reborn (upagā) in the dimension of **nothingness**.* The deva (godly) abodes attained with each rupa jhana are listed in AN 4.123, namely, *brahmakāyikā*, *ābhassarā*, *subhakiṇhā* & *vehapphalānaṃ*. Now, the above utterance in DN 15 & AN 7.44 omit the 4th jhana or gods of abundant fruit (*vehapphalānaṃ*) found in AN 4.123. Related to this is [AN 9.24](https://suttacentral.net/an9.24/en/sujato?layout=linebyline&reference=none¬es=asterisk&highlight=false&script=latin) , which refers to the 4th jhana as 'non-percipient' (asaññino). My question is what are the "seven stations of consciousness" supposed to mean (for example, why do the permutations of 'diversity' and 'unity' exist in the various jhana & states of being) and why, in particular, does this utterance omit the 4th jhana?