革 → 蹇
Hexagram 49: Revolution → Hexagram 39: Obstruction
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 2 changing lines (lines 1, 4).
Line 1
初九 鞏用黃牛之革。
Nine at the beginning means: Wrapped in the hide of a yellow cow.
Line 4
九四 悔亡有孚。改命吉。
Nine in the fourth place means: Remorse disappears. Men believe him. Changing the form of government brings good fortune.
Trigram Changes
Yilin Verse
无足斷跟，居處不安，凶惡為殘。
A broken-winged bird trapped in a cage; a snapped-string qin hangs empty on the wall. Blades on all four walls, nowhere to lean — sitting or standing, no peace, wind every night.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Fire within the lake encounters water above the mountain — Obstruction, where every path is blocked. The original verse reads: 'Without feet, heels severed — one's dwelling place offers no peace. Cruelty and evil leave only mutilation.' Identical to verse 49-31, this repetition underscores the severity: Revolution devolving into Obstruction produces a body broken beyond movement. The mountain has water above it — danger pouring down on immovable stone. From Revolution to Obstruction, the transformation intensifies: not merely blocked but crippled, not merely delayed but permanently impaired. The sage's counsel for Obstruction is 'turn inward and cultivate virtue,' but this verse offers no such consolation.
The Six Lines app includes all 4,096 Yilin verses, each with original ink brush artwork and full commentary. Download on the App Store