Hexagram 42: 益 (yì)
益
yì · Legge: Yî
Lower trigram ☳ 震 (Thunder), upper trigram ☴ 巽 (Wind)
Judgment
利有攸往。利涉大川。
Yî indicates that (in the state which it denotes) there will be advantage in every movement which shall be undertaken, that it will be advantageous (even) to cross the great stream.
Commentary on the judgment (彖傳)
益，損上益下，民說无疆，自上下下，其道大光。利有攸往，中正有慶。利涉大川，木道乃行。益動而巽，日進无疆。天施地生，其益无方。凡益之道，與時偕行。
The image (大象)
風雷，益；君子以見善則遷，有過則改。
The six lines
| Line | Chinese | Legge | Changes to |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 — | 莫益之，或擊之，立心勿恆，凶。 | In the sixth line, undivided, we see one to whose increase none will contribute, while many will seek to assail him. He observes no regular rule in the ordering of his heart. There will be evil. | 3 |
| 5 — | 有孚惠心，勿問元吉。有孚惠我德。 | The fifth line, undivided, shows its subject with sincere heart seeking to benefit (all below). There need be no question about it; the result will be great good fortune. (All below) will with sincere heart acknowledge his goodness. | 27 |
| 4 – – | 中行，告公從。利用為依遷國。 | The fourth line, divided, shows its subject pursuing the due course. His advice to his prince is followed. He can with advantage be relied on in such a movement as that of removing the capital. | 25 |
| 3 – – | 益之用凶事，无咎。有孚中行，告公用圭。 | The third line, divided, shows increase given to its subject by means of what is evil, so that he shall (be led to good), and be without blame. Let him be sincere and pursue the path of the Mean, (so shall he secure the recognition of the ruler, like) an officer who announces himself to his prince by the symbol of his rank. | 37 |
| 2 – – | 或益之，十朋之龜弗克違，永貞吉。王用享于帝，吉。 | The second line, divided, shows parties adding to the stores of its subject ten pairs of tortoise shells whose oracles cannot be opposed. Let him persevere in being firm and correct, and there will be good fortune. Let the king, (having the virtues thus distinguished), employ them in presenting his offerings to God, and there will be good fortune. | 61 |
| 1 — | 利用為大作，元吉，无咎。 | The first line, undivided, shows that it will be advantageous for its subject in his position to make a great movement. If it be greatly fortunate, no blame will be imputed to him. | 20 |
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 41
- Opposite (every line changed): hexagram 32 · reading
- Nuclear (lines 2–4 and 3–5): hexagram 23
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
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 攸yōudistant, far; adverbial prefix
- 往wǎngto go, to depart; past, former
- 涉shèsconcerned, involved; to experience; to
- 大dàbig, great, vast, high, deep
- 川chuānstream, river
- 用yòngto use, to employ, to apply; use
- 為wèito do, to act; to handle, to govern; to
- 作zuòto make; to write, to compose; to act, t
- 元yuánfirst; dollar; origin; head
- 吉jílucky, propitious, good
- 无wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 咎jiùfault, defect; error, mistake
- 或huòor, either, else; maybe, perhaps, possib
- 益yìto profit, to benefit; advantage
- 之zhīmarks preceding phrase as modifier of fo
- 十shíten, tenth; complete; perfect
- 朋péngfriend, pal, acquaintance
- 龜guīturtle, tortoise; cuckold
- 弗fúnot, negative
- 克kèto subdue, to restrain, to overcome; use
- 違wéito violate, to disobey, to defy; to sepa
- 永yǒnglong; perpetual, eternal; forever
- 貞zhēnvirtuous, chaste, pure; loyal
- 王wángking, ruler; royal; surname
- 享xiǎngto share; to enjoy; to benefit from
- 于yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 帝dìsupreme ruler, emperor; god
- 凶xiōngculprit; murder; bad, sad
- 事shìaffair, matter, business; to serve; acci
- 孚fúto brood over eggs; to have confidence
- 中zhōngcentral; center, middle; amidst; to hit
- 行xíngto go, to walk, to move; professional
- 告gàoto tell, to inform, to announce; to accu
- 公gōngfair, equitable; public; duke
- 圭guījade tablet
- 從cóngfrom, by, since, whence, through
- 依yīto rely on; to consent, to obey; accordi
- 遷qiānto shift, to move; to transfer, to chang
- 國guócountry, nation, state; national
- 惠huìfavor, benefit, blessing, kindness
- 心xīnheart; mind; soul
- 勿wùmust not, do not; without, never
- 問wènto ask about, to inquire after
- 我wǒI, me, my; our, us
- 德déethics, morality; compassion, kindness
- 莫mòcannot; do not; is not; negative
- 擊jīto strike, to hit, to beat; to attack, t
- 立lìto stand; to establish, to set up
- 恆héngconstant, persistent, regular
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.