革 → 大過
Hexagram 49: Revolution → Hexagram 28: Great Exceeding
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 2 changing lines (lines 1, 2).
Line 1
初九 鞏用黃牛之革。
Nine at the beginning means: Wrapped in the hide of a yellow cow.
Line 2
六二 巳日乃革之。征吉无咎。
Six in the second place means: When one's own day comes, one may create revolution. Starting brings good fortune. No blame.
Trigram Changes
Yilin Verse
彭君為妖,暴龍作災。盜堯衣裳,聚跖荷兵。青禽照夜,三日夷亡。
Lord Peng works his evil; the violent dragon brings disaster. Stealing the robes of Yao, gathering bandits like Zhi under arms. The blue-green bird illuminates the night; in three days, the Yi are destroyed.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Fire within the lake gives way to the lake submerging wind — Great Exceeding, where the structure buckles under extraordinary pressure. Peng Sheng becomes a demon; a violent dragon wreaks havoc. Someone steals Yao's robes and gathers Robber Zhi's armed bands. A blue bird illuminates the night; within three days the Yi perish. According to tradition, Peng Sheng was a strongman of Qi whom Duke Xiang ordered to murder Duke Huan of Lu, then killed to silence. His ghost later appeared as a wild boar, terrifying Duke Xiang to death. The verse layers usurpation upon usurpation: stealing a sage-king's garments to cloak banditry. From Revolution to Great Exceeding, the beam snaps when revolution is hijacked by monsters wearing borrowed legitimacy.
The Six Lines app includes all 4,096 Yilin verses, each with original ink brush artwork and full commentary. Download on the App Store