Hexagram 24 Line 6: 上六
Position: Line 6 (Upper Trigram)上六 —Yin ⚋ (Broken)Register: inauspiciousFamous Line
Classical Chinese Text
上六 迷復。凶。有災眚。用行師。終有大敗。以其國君凶。至于十年不克征。
迷復。凶
迷mí(a
復fù(to) return
凶xiōngunfortunate
有yǒuthere is
災zāicalamity
眚shěng(and) injury
用yòng(if
行xíngto move
師shī(a
終zhōng(then) in the end
有yǒuthere will be
大dà(a) great
敗bàidefeat
以yǐfor
其qíone's (own)
國guódomain
君jūn(and) (its) nobility
凶xiōng(with) misfortune
至zhìeven
于yúin
十shíten
年niányears
不bùwithout
克kèability
征zhēng(to
Line Commentary
Confused return. Misfortune. Disaster and blunder. Using armies leads to great defeat in the end—the ruler's misfortune. Even after ten years, unable to attack. Lost on the way back, you make everything worse. The return that fails is catastrophic.
Commentary
Missing the return brings misfortune—misfortune from within and without. If armies march in this way, they suffer great defeat, disastrous for the ruler. For ten years it will not be possible to attack again. You missed the right time; blind obstinacy has brought judgment upon itself.
When This Line Changes
If Line 6 changes, Hexagram 24 Fu (Return) transforms into Hexagram 27 Yi (Nourishment).
Parent Hexagram
Return
Fu復 (24)
Earth (坤) over Thunder (震)
Upper Trigram: ☷ Earth | Lower Trigram: ☳ Thunder