Hexagram 18 蠱, Line 6
蠱
Hexagram 18 · sixth line, undivided (nine)
不事王侯，高尚其事。
The sixth line, undivided, shows us one who does not serve either king or feudal lord, but in a lofty spirit prefers (to attend to) his own affairs.
James Legge (1882), public domain.
Small image (小象)
不事王侯，志可則也。
If only this line changes, hexagram 18 becomes hexagram 46.
← Hexagram 18 蠱: judgment and all lines
Character glossary
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 事shìaffair, matter, business; to serve; acci
- 王wángking, ruler; royal; surname
- 侯hóumarquis, lord; target in archery
- 高gāotall, lofty; high, elevated
- 尚shàngstill, yet; even; fairly, rather
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 志zhìdetermination, will; mark, sign; to reco
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 則zérule, law, regulation; grades
- 也yěalso, too
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.