Hexagram 40 解 changing to hexagram 49 革
Changing lines (counted from the bottom): 1, 2, 3, 5.
What to read
Four changing lines: read the two unchanged lines of the resulting hexagram; the lower one is the main one. (Rule set out by Zhu Xi in the Yixue qimeng.)
Hexagram 49 革, line 4
悔亡,有孚改命,吉。
The fourth line, undivided, shows occasion for repentance disappearing (from its subject). Let him be believed in; and though he change (existing) ordinances, there will be good fortune.
Hexagram 49 革, line 6
君子豹變,小人革面,征凶,居貞吉。
The sixth line, divided, shows the superior man producing his changes as the leopard (does when he) changes (his spots), while small men change their faces (and show their obedience). To go forward (now) would lead to evil, but there will be good fortune in abiding firm and correct.
The two hexagrams
Hexagram 40 解 — judgment
利西南,无所往,其來復吉。有攸往,夙吉。
In (the state indicated by) Kieh advantage will be found in the south-west. If no (further) operations be called for, there will be good fortune in coming back (to the old conditions). If some operations be called for, there will be good fortune in the early conducting of them.
Hexagram 49 革 — judgment
已日乃孚,元亨。利貞。悔亡。
(What takes place as indicated by) Ko is believed in only after it has been accomplished. There will be great progress and success. Advantage will come from being firm and correct. (In that case) occasion for repentance will disappear.
The changing lines of hexagram 40
| Line | Chinese | Legge |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 无咎。 | The first line, divided, shows that its subject will commit no error. |
| 2 | 田獲三狐,得黃矢,貞吉。 | The second line, undivided, shows its subject catch, in hunting, three foxes, and obtain the yellow ( = golden) arrows. With firm correctness there will be good fortune. |
| 3 | 負且乘,致寇至,貞吝。 | The third line, divided, shows a porter with his burden, (yet) riding in a carriage. He will (only) tempt robbers to attack him. However firm and correct he may (try to) be, there will be cause for regret. |
| 5 | 君子惟有解,吉;有孚于小人。 | The fifth line, divided, shows (its subject), the superior man ( = the ruler), executing his function of removing (whatever is injurious to the idea of the hexagram), in which case there will be good fortune, and confidence in him will be shown even by the small men. |
English: James Legge (1882), public domain. Chinese: Zhou Yi.
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.