Hexagram 39: 蹇 (jiǎn)
Judgment
利西南，不利東北；利見大人，貞吉。
In (the state indicated Kien advantage will be found in the south-west, and the contrary in the north-east. It will be advantageous (also) to meet with the great man. (In these circumstances), with firmness and correctness, there will be good fortune.
Commentary on the judgment (彖傳)
蹇，難也，險在前也。見險而能止，知矣哉！蹇利西南，往得中也；不利東北，其道窮也。利見大人，往有功也。當位貞吉，以正邦也。蹇之時用大矣哉！
The image (大象)
山上有水，蹇；君子以反身修德。
The six lines
| Line | Chinese | Legge | Changes to |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 – – | 往蹇來碩，吉；利見大人。 | The topmost line, divided, shows its subject going forward, (only to increase) the difficulties, while his remaining stationary will be (productive of) great (merit). There will be good fortune, and it will be advantageous to meet with the great man. | 53 |
| 5 — | 大蹇朋來。 | The fifth line, undivided, shows its subject struggling with the greatest difficulties, while friends are coming to help him. | 15 |
| 4 – – | 往蹇來連。 | The fourth line, divided, shows its subject advancing, (but only) to (greater) difficulties. He remains stationary, and unites (with the subject of the line above). | 31 |
| 3 — | 往蹇來反。 | The third line, undivided, shows its subject advancing, (but only) to (greater) difficulties. He remains stationary, and returns (to his former associates). | 8 |
| 2 – – | 王臣蹇蹇，匪躬之故。 | The second line, divided, shows the minister of the king struggling with difficulty on difficulty, and not with a view to his own advantage. | 48 |
| 1 – – | 往蹇，來譽。 | From the first line, divided, we learn that advance (on the part of its subject) will lead to (greater) difficulties, while remaining stationary will afford ground for praise. | 63 |
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 40
- Opposite (every line changed): hexagram 38 · reading
- Nuclear (lines 2–4 and 3–5): hexagram 64
English: James Legge, The Yî King, Sacred Books of the East vol. 16 (1882) — public domain; OCR text of the 1882 printing, checked against the proofread hexagrams. Chinese: Zhou Yi from Chinese Wikisource.
Character glossary
- 利lìgains, advantage, profit, merit
- 西xīwest, western, westward
- 南nánsouth; southern; southward
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 東dōngeast, eastern, eastward
- 北běinorth; northern; northward
- 見jiànto see, to observe, to meet, to appear
- 大dàbig, great, vast, high, deep
- 人rénman, person; people
- 貞zhēnvirtuous, chaste, pure; loyal
- 吉jílucky, propitious, good
- 往wǎngto go, to depart; past, former
- 蹇jiǎnlame, crippled; nag, donkey; slow, diffi
- 來láito arrive, to come, to return; in the fu
- 譽yùfame, reputation; to praise
- 王wángking, ruler; royal; surname
- 臣chénminister, statesman, official, vassal
- 匪fěibandits, robbers, gangsters
- 躬gōngto bow; personally, in person; oneself
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 故gùreason, cause; happening, instance
- 反fǎnreverse, opposite; contrary, anti-
- 連liánto join, to connect; continuous; even
- 朋péngfriend, pal, acquaintance
- 碩shuògreat, eminent; large, big
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.