歸妹 → 蹇
Hexagram 54: The Marrying Maiden → Hexagram 39: Obstruction
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 5 changing lines (lines 1, 2, 3, 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 2
九二 眇能視。利幽人之貞。
Nine in the second place means: A one-eyed man who is able to see. The perseverance of a solitary man furthers.
Line 3
六三 歸妹以須。反歸以娣。
Six in the third place means: The marrying maiden as a slave. She marries as a concubine.
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
拔劍傷手，見敵不善。良臣無佐，國憂為咎。
Drawing the sword, he wounds his own hand; facing the enemy, nothing goes well. The loyal minister has no support; the state's sorrow becomes its undoing.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Thunder over lake encounters water over mountain: the maiden's rash energy meets Obstruction's impassable terrain. Drawing a sword, one cuts one's own hand; facing the enemy, the situation looks grim. A loyal minister has no support; the state's anxiety becomes a curse. The verse pairs self-inflicted wounds with diplomatic isolation: the weapon meant for the foe turns on the wielder, and the capable minister stands alone without allies. From the Marrying Maiden to Obstruction, water pools atop the mountain, blocking all forward motion. Obstruction counsels turning inward to cultivate virtue when external advance is impossible. The minister's plight mirrors this exactly: surrounded by danger, lacking reinforcement, the only recourse is to reflect and strengthen inner resolve.
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