Hexagram 14: 大有 (dà yǒu)
Judgment
元亨。
Tâ Yû indicates that, (under the circumstances which it implies), there will be great progress and success.
Commentary on the judgment (彖傳)
大有，柔得尊位，大中而上下應之，曰大有。其德剛健而文明，應乎天而時行，是以元亨。
The image (大象)
火在天上，大有；君子以遏惡揚善，順天休命。
The six lines
| Line | Chinese | Legge | Changes to |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 — | 自天佑之，吉无不利。 | The topmost line, undivided, shows its subject with help accorded to him from Heaven. There will be good fortune, advantage in every respect. | 34 |
| 5 – – | 厥孚交如，威如；吉。 | The fifth line, divided, shows the sincerity of its subject reciprocated by that of all the others (represented in the hexagram). Let him display a proper majesty, and there will be good fortune. | 1 |
| 4 — | 匪其尫，无咎。 | The fourth line, undivided, shows its subject keeping his great resources under restraint. There will be no error. | 26 |
| 3 — | 公用亨于天子，小人弗克。 | The third line, undivided, shows us a feudal prince presenting his offerings to the Son of Heaven. A small man would be unequal (to such a duty). | 38 |
| 2 — | 大轝以載，有攸往，无咎。 | In the second line, undivided, we have a large waggon with its load. In whatever direction advance is made, there will be no error. | 30 |
| 1 — | 无交害，匪咎，艱則无咎。 | In the first line, undivided, there is no approach to what is injurious, and there is no error. Let there be a realisation of the difficulty (and danger of the position), and there will be no error (to the end). | 50 |
Lines are numbered from the bottom. Each line page shows the line text with its small image commentary; each “changes to” link opens the reading for that changing line.
Related hexagrams
- Inverse (lines in reverse order): hexagram 13
- Opposite (every line changed): hexagram 8 · reading
- Nuclear (lines 2–4 and 3–5): hexagram 43
Legge's notes
XIV. Tâ Yû means 'Great Havings;' denoting in a kingdom a state of prosperity and abundance, and in a family or individual, a state of opulence. The danger threatening such a condition arises from the pride which it is likely to engender. But everything here is against that issue. Apart from the symbolism of the trigrams, we have the place of honour occupied by a weak line, so that its subject will be humble; and all the other lines, strong as they are, will act in obedient sympathy. There will be great progress and success.
Line 1, though strong, is at the lowest part of the figure, and has no correlate above. No external influences have as yet acted injuriously on its subject. Let him do as directed, and no hurtful influence will ever affect him.
The strong line 2 has its proper correlate in line 5, the ruler of the figure, and will use its strength in subordination to his humility. Hence the symbolism.
Line 3 is strong, and in the right (an odd) place. The topmost line of the lower trigram is the proper place for a feudal lord. The subject of this will humbly serve the condescending ruler in line 5. A small man, having the place without the virtue, would give himself airs.
Line 4 is strong, but the strength is tempered by the position, which is that of a weak line. Hence he will do no injury to the mild ruler, to whom he is so near.
Line 5 symbolises the ruler. Mild sincerity is good in him, and affects his ministers and others. But a ruler must not be without an awe-inspiring majesty.
Even the topmost line takes its character from 5. The strength of its subject is still tempered, and Heaven gives its approval.
English: James Legge, The Yî King, Sacred Books of the East vol. 16 (1882) — public domain. Chinese: Zhou Yi from Chinese Wikisource.
Character glossary
- 元yuánfirst; dollar; origin; head
- 亨hēngprospering, going smoothly
- 无wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 交jiāoto connect; to deliver, to exchange; to
- 害hàito injure, to harm; to destroy, to kill
- 匪fěibandits, robbers, gangsters
- 咎jiùfault, defect; error, mistake
- 艱jiāndifficult, hard; hardship
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 大dàbig, great, vast, high, deep
- 轝yùenvy; hate, dislike; resentment
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 載zàiload; to carry, to convey, to transport
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 攸yōudistant, far; adverbial prefix
- 往wǎngto go, to depart; past, former
- 公gōngfair, equitable; public; duke
- 用yòngto use, to employ, to apply; use
- 于yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 天tiānsky, heaven; god, celestial
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 小xiǎosmall, tiny, insignificant
- 人rénman, person; people
- 弗fúnot, negative
- 克kèto subdue, to restrain, to overcome; use
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 尫wānglame
- 厥juépersonal pronoun; he, she, it
- 孚fúto brood over eggs; to have confidence
- 如rúas, as if, like, such as, supposing
- 威wēimight, power, prestige; to dominate
- 吉jílucky, propitious, good
- 自zìself; private, personal; from
- 佑yòuto help; to protect; to bless
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 利lìgains, advantage, profit, merit
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0); Chinese Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.