Hexagram 54 歸妹 changing to hexagram 44 姤
Changing lines (counted from the bottom): 1, 3, 5, 6.
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 44 姤, line 2
包有魚，无咎，不利賓。
The second line, undivided, shows its subject with a wallet of fish. There will be no error. But it will not be well to let (the subject of the first line) go forward to the guests.
Hexagram 44 姤, line 4
包无魚，起凶。
The fourth line, undivided, shows its subject with his wallet, but no fish in it. This will give rise to evil.
The two hexagrams
Hexagram 54 歸妹 — judgment
征凶，无攸利。
Kwei Mei indicates that (under the conditions which it denotes) action will be evil, and in no wise advantageous.
Hexagram 44 姤 — judgment
女壯，勿用取女。
Kâu shows a female who is bold and strong. It will not be good to marry (such) a female.
The changing lines of hexagram 54
| Line | Chinese | Legge |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 歸妹以娣，跛能履，征吉。 | The first line, undivided, shows the younger sister married off in a position ancillary to the real wife. (It suggests the idea of) a person lame on one leg who yet manages to tramp along. Going forward will be fortunate. |
| 3 | 歸妹以須，反歸以娣。 | The third line, divided, shows the younger sister who was to be married off in a mean position. She returns and accepts an ancillary position. |
| 5 | 帝乙歸妹，其君之袂，不如其娣之袂良，月幾望，吉。 | The fifth line, divided, reminds us of the marrying of the younger sister of (king) Ti-yi, when the sleeves of her the princess were not equal to those of the (still) younger sister who accompanied her in an inferior capacity. (The case suggests the thought of) the moon almost full. There will be good fortune. |
| 6 | 女承筐无實，士刲羊无血，无攸利。 | The sixth line, divided, shows the young lady bearing the basket, but without anything in it, and the gentleman slaughtering the sheep, but without blood flowing from it. There will be no advantage in any way. |
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.