Hexagram 36 明夷, Line 3
明夷
Hexagram 36 · third line, undivided (nine)
明夷于南狩，得其大首，不可疾貞。
The third line, undivided, shows its subject, (in the condition indicated by) Ming I, hunting in the south, and taking the great chief (of the darkness). He should not be eager to make (all) correct (at once).
James Legge (1882), public domain.
Small image (小象)
南狩之志，乃大得也。
If only this line changes, hexagram 36 becomes hexagram 24.
← Hexagram 36 明夷: judgment and all lines
Character glossary
- 明míngbright, clear; to explain, to understand
- 夷yíancient barbarian tribes
- 于yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 南nánsouth; southern; southward
- 狩shòuwinter hunting; a hunting dog; an imperi
- 得déto obtain, to get, to acquire; suitable,
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 大dàbig, great, vast, high, deep
- 首shǒuchief, head, leader
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 疾jísickness, illness, disease; to envy, to
- 貞zhēnvirtuous, chaste, pure; loyal
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 志zhìdetermination, will; mark, sign; to reco
- 乃nǎithen; really, indeed, after all
- 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.