大過

Hexagram 49: Revolution → Hexagram 28: Great Exceeding

Revolution
Lake / Fire
大過
Great Exceeding
Lake / Wind
Changing LinesStable Lines

Changing Lines

This transformation involves 2 changing lines (lines 1, 2).

Line 1

初九 鞏用黃牛之革。

gǒngbound
yòngusing
huángyellow
niúcow
zhī...'s
rawhide

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。

complete
the this
nǎiand
the change
zhīhas arrive(al)
zhēngto expedite
is promising
no
jiùblame

Six in the second place means: When one's own day comes, one may create revolution. Starting brings good fortune. No blame.

Trigram Changes

Upper TrigramLake Lake
Lower TrigramFire WindThe Clinging → The Gentle

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.

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