Hexagram 47: 困 (kùn)
困
kùn · Legge: Khwăn
Lower trigram ☵ 坎 (Water), upper trigram ☱ 兌 (Lake)
Judgment
亨，貞大人吉，无咎，有言不信。
In (the condition denoted by) Khwăn there may (yet be) progress and success. For the firm and correct, the (really) great man, there will be good fortune. He will fall into no error. If he make speeches, his words cannot be made good.
Commentary on the judgment (彖傳)
困，剛掩也。險以說，困而不失其所，亨；其唯君子乎？ 貞大人吉，以剛中也。有言不信，尚口乃窮也。
The image (大象)
澤无水，困；君子以致命遂志。
The six lines
| Line | Chinese | Legge | Changes to |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 – – | 困于葛藟，于臲卼，曰動悔。有悔，征吉。 | The sixth line, divided, shows its subject straitened, as if bound with creepers; or in a high and dangerous position, and saying (to himself), 'If I move, I shall repent it' If he do repent of former errors, there will be good fortune in his going forward. | 6 |
| 5 — | 劓刖，困于赤紱，乃徐有說，利用祭祀。 | The fifth line, undivided, shows its subject with his nose and feet cut off. He is straitened by (his ministers in their) scarlet aprons. He is leisurely in his movements, however, and is satisfied. It will be well for him to be (as sincere) as in sacrificing (to spiritual beings). | 40 |
| 4 — | 來荼荼，困于金轝，吝，有終。 | The fourth line, undivided, shows its subject proceeding very slowly (to help the subject of the first line), who is straitened by the carriage adorned with metal in front of him. There will be occasion for regret, but the end will be good. | 29 |
| 3 – – | 困于石，據于蒺蔾，入于其宮，不見其妻，凶。 | The third line, divided, shows its subject straitened before a (frowning) rock. He lays hold of thorns. He enters his palace, and does not see his wife. There will be evil. | 28 |
| 2 — | 困于酒食，朱紱方來，利用亨祀，征凶，无咎。 | The second line, undivided, shows its subject straitened amidst his wine and viands. There come to him anon the red knee-covers (of the ruler). It will be well for him (to maintain his sincerity as) in sacrificing. Active operations (on his part) will lead to evil, but he will be free from blame. | 45 |
| 1 – – | 臀困于株木，入于幽谷，三歲不覿。 | The first line, divided, shows its subject with bare buttocks straitened under the stump of a tree. He enters a dark valley, and for three years has no prospect (of deliverance). | 58 |
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 48
- Opposite (every line changed): hexagram 22 · reading
- Nuclear (lines 2–4 and 3–5): hexagram 37
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
- 亨hēngprospering, going smoothly
- 貞zhēnvirtuous, chaste, pure; loyal
- 大dàbig, great, vast, high, deep
- 人rénman, person; people
- 吉jílucky, propitious, good
- 无wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 咎jiùfault, defect; error, mistake
- 有yǒuto have, to own, to possess; to exist
- 言yánwords, speech; to speak, to say
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 信xìnto trust, to believe; letter, sign
- 臀túnbuttocks
- 困kùnto surround; to besiege; surrounded, in
- 于yúat, in, on; to, from; alas!
- 株zhūroot, stump; measure word for trees
- 木mùtree; wood, lumber; wooden
- 入rùto enter, to come in; to join
- 幽yōuquiet, secluded, tranquil; dark
- 谷gǔvalley, gorge, ravine
- 三sānthree
- 歲suìyear; years old, age; harvest
- 覿dísee; interview; be admitted to audience
- 酒jiǔwine, spirits, liquor, alcohol
- 食shífood; to eat
- 朱zhūcinnabar, vermilion; surname
- 紱fúribbon or cord used attach ornaments
- 方fāngsquare, rectangle; side; region; flag
- 來láito arrive, to come, to return; in the fu
- 利lìgains, advantage, profit, merit
- 用yòngto use, to employ, to apply; use
- 祀sìto sacrifice, to worship
- 征zhēngto summon, to recruit; levy, tax; journe
- 凶xiōngculprit; murder; bad, sad
- 石shístone, rock, mineral
- 據jùto possess, to occupy; position; base
- 蒺jífurze, gorse
- 蔾líkind of bramble
- 其qíhis, her, its, their; that
- 宮gōngpalace; surname
- 見jiànto see, to observe, to meet, to appear
- 妻qīwife
- 荼túa bitter vegetable
- 金jīngold, metal; money
- 轝yùenvy; hate, dislike; resentment
- 吝lìnstingy, miserly; parsimonious
- 終zhōngend; finally, in the end
- 劓yìto cut off the nose
- 刖yuècutting off the feet as a form of punish
- 赤chìred, scarlet; blushing; bare, naked
- 乃nǎithen; really, indeed, after all
- 徐xúslowly, quietly, calmly; dignified, comp
- 說shuōto speak, to say; to scold, to upbraid
- 祭jìto sacrifice to, to worship
- 葛géan edible bean; vine; surname
- 藟lěivine, creeper; to wind
- 臲niètottering, unsteady; jumpy, jittery
- 卼wùunsteady; dangerous
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 動dòngto move, to happen; movement, action
- 悔huǐto regret, to repent, to show remorse
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.