Hexagram 21 噬嗑, Line 2
噬嗑
Hexagram 21 · second line, divided (six)
噬膚滅鼻，无咎。
The second line, divided, shows one biting through the soft flesh, and (going on to) bite off the nose. There will be no error.
James Legge (1882), public domain.
Small image (小象)
噬膚滅鼻，乘剛也。
If only this line changes, hexagram 21 becomes hexagram 38.
← Hexagram 21 噬嗑: judgment and all lines
Character glossary
- 噬shìto bite, to gnaw; to snap at
- 膚fūskin; shallow, superficial
- 滅mièto extinguish; to wipe out
- 鼻bínose; first
- 无wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 咎jiùfault, defect; error, mistake
- 乘chéngride, mount; to make use of; to ascend;
- 剛gānghard, strong, tough; just, barely
- 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.