歸妹 → 坎
Hexagram 54: The Marrying Maiden → Hexagram 29: The Abysmal Water
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 3 changing lines (lines 1, 4, 5).
Line 1
初九 歸妹以娣。跛能履。征吉。
Nine at the beginning means: The marrying maiden as a concubine. A lame man who is able to tread. Undertakings bring good fortune.
Line 4
九四 歸妹愆期。遲歸有時。
Nine in the fourth place means: The marrying maiden draws out the allotted time. A late marriage comes in due course.
Line 5
六五 帝乙歸妹。其君之袂。不如其娣之袂良。月幾望吉。
Six in the fifth place means: The sovereign I gave his daughter in marriage. The embroidered garments of the princess Were not as gorgeous As those of the serving maid. The moon that is nearly full Brings good fortune.
Trigram Changes
Yilin Verse
大蛇巨魚，相搏于郊。君臣隔塞，戴公出廬。
The great serpent and the giant fish wrestle in the open field. Lord and minister are sundered; Duke Dai departs from his dwelling.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Thunder over lake plunges into doubled water: the maiden's turbulent bond descends into the Abysmal's repeated peril. A great serpent and a giant fish battle in the open fields. Ruler and minister are cut off from each other; Duke Dai of Wei is driven from his capital. The monstrous combat between serpent and fish evokes cosmic forces clashing beyond human control. Duke Dai of Wei briefly reigned around 660 BC after the Di barbarians devastated Wei, but died within months. From the Marrying Maiden to the Abysmal, water upon water doubles the danger. The Abysmal demands sincerity of heart to navigate repeated crises. The verse captures a state sundered beyond repair, where even a legitimate ruler cannot hold his throne against the churning abyss.
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