鼎 → 革
Hexagram 50: The Cauldron → Hexagram 49: Revolution
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 4 changing lines (lines 1, 2, 5, 6).
Line 1
初六 鼎顛趾。利出否。得妾以其子。无咎。
Six at the beginning means: A ting with legs upturned. Furthers removal of stagnating stuff. One takes a concubine for the sake of her son. No blame.
Line 2
九二 鼎有實。我仇有疾。不我能即。吉。
Nine in the second place means: There is food in the ting. My comrades are envious, But they cannot harm me. Good fortune.
Line 5
六五 鼎黃耳金鉉。利貞。
Six in the fifth place means: The ting has yellow handles, golden carrying rings. Perseverance furthers.
Line 6
上九 鼎玉鉉。大吉。无不利。
Nine at the top means: The ting has rings of jade. Great good fortune. Nothing that would not act to further.
Trigram Changes
Yilin Verse
追亡逐北，呼還幼叔。至止而復，得反其室。
Chasing the fugitive, pursuing the fleeing; calling back the young uncle. Reaching the end, he turns back and regains his home.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Fire over wind fills the cauldron; fire within the lake transforms in Revolution. Chasing the fleeing enemy and pursuing the routed, someone calls back the younger uncle. Upon arriving and halting, he returns safely to his household. The verse captures a moment of battlefield pursuit where a family member is retrieved from the chaos of war — the 'younger uncle' who fled or was carried off is found and brought home. The chase succeeds; the household is restored. From The Cauldron to Revolution, the transformation reveals purposeful change that recovers what was lost. Lake over fire: the old order burns away, but what emerges is not destruction — it is the reunited family. The cauldron's fire drives out the old; revolution completes the return.
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