Hexagram 49: Gé (Revolution)
泽火革 · 第 49 卦 · Lake over Fire · 中文版
The Judgment
(What takes place as indicated by) Ge 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.
革：己日乃孚，元亨利贞，悔亡。
Commentary on the Judgment (Tuan)
In Ge (we see) water and fire extinguishing each other; (we see also) two daughters dwelling together, but with their minds directed to different objects: - (on account of these things) it is called (the hexagram of) Change. 'It is believed in (only) after it has been accomplished:' - when the change has been made, faith is accorded to it. (We have) cultivated intelligence (as the basis of) pleased satisfaction, (suggesting) 'great progress and success,' coming from what is correct. When change thus takes place in the proper way, 'occasion for repentance disappears.' Heaven and earth undergo their changes, and the four seasons complete their functions. Thang changed the appointment (of the line of Hsi? to the throne), and Wu (that of the line of Shang), in accordance with (the will of) Heaven, and in response to (the wishes of) men. Great indeed is what takes place in a time of change.
彖曰：革，水火相息，二女同居，其志不相得，曰革。己日乃孚，革而信也。文明以说，大亨以正，革而当，其悔乃亡。天地革而四时成，汤武革命，顺乎天而应乎人，革之时大矣哉！
The Great Image
(The trigram representing the waters of) a marsh and that for fire in the midst of them form Ge. The superior man, in accordance with this, regulates his (astronomical) calculations, and makes clear the seasons and times.
象曰：泽中有火，革；君子以治历明时。
The six lines
Line 1 (first): The first NINE, undivided, shows its subject (as if he were) bound with the skin of a yellow ox.
'He is bound with (the skin of) a yellow ox:' - he should in his circumstances be taking action.
In plain words: Bound fast with the hide of a yellow ox. The first line is at the start of change: the time is not yet ripe, so it must restrain itself and not act rashly. The Small Image says it cannot act.
初九：巩用黄牛之革。 象曰：巩用黄牛，不可以有为也。
Line 2 (second): The second SIX, divided, shows its subject making his changes after some time has passed. Action taken will be fortunate. There will be no error.
'He makes his changes when some time has passed:' - what he does will be matter of admiration.
In plain words: On the ji day, make the change: going on brings good fortune, no fault. The ji day is read as the sixth of the ten stems, just past the middle, a picture of the moment being ripe; others read the character differently. The second line is central and correct and corresponds to the fifth; it moves only when the time is ripe. The Small Image says going on brings a fine result.
六二：己日乃革之，征吉，无咎。 象曰：己日革之，行有嘉也。
Line 3 (third): The third NINE, undivided, shows that action taken by its subject will be evil. Though he be firm and correct, his position is perilous. If the change (he contemplates) have been three times fully discussed, he will be believed in.
'The change (contemplated) has been three times fully discussed:' - to what else should attention (now) be directed?
In plain words: Pushing ahead brings misfortune; holding on is dangerous; when talk of change has been discussed three times, there is trust. The third line is strong but not central, and too hasty. The Small Image says once talk of change has been settled after repeated discussion, where else is there to go? That is, it is enough.
九三：征凶，贞厉，革言三就，有孚。 象曰：革言三就，又何之矣。
Line 4 (fourth): The fourth NINE, 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.
'The good fortune consequent on changing (existing) ordinances' is due to the faith reposed in his aims.
In plain words: Regret vanishes; with sincerity, changing the mandate brings good fortune. The fourth line is yang in a yin place and has entered the upper trigram: the time for change has come. Founded on sincerity, it changes the old mandate; the Chinese word for revolution comes from this hexagram. The Small Image says changing the mandate is fortunate because its aims are trusted.
九四：悔亡，有孚改命，吉。 象曰：改命之吉，信志也。
Line 5 (fifth): The fifth NINE, undivided, shows the great man (producing his changes) as the tiger (does when he) changes (his stripes). Before he divines (and proceeds to action), faith has been reposed in him.
'The great man produces his changes as the tiger does when he changes his stripes:' - their beauty becomes more brilliant.
In plain words: The great person changes like a tiger; without consulting the oracle, there is trust. The fifth line is strong, central and correct, the ruler of the hexagram; its change is thorough and bright. The tiger's changing stripes picture how clearly the change shows. The Small Image says its pattern is brilliant.
九五：大人虎变，未占有孚。 象曰：大人虎变，其文炳也。
Line 6 (sixth (top)): The sixth SIX, 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 superior man produces his changes as the leopard does when he changes his spots:' - their beauty becomes more elegant. 'Small men change their faces:' - they show themselves prepared to follow their ruler.
In plain words: The noble person changes like a leopard; the petty person changes their face; pushing ahead brings misfortune; staying put and steadfast brings good fortune. The leopard's change pictures the noble following the change with fine pattern; changing the face means outward compliance, the source of the idiom for turning over a new leaf. The top line is at the end of change: the change is done, and it is time to settle. The Small Image says the noble person's pattern is rich, and the petty person changes face to follow the ruler.
上六：君子豹变，小人革面，征凶，居贞吉。 象曰：君子豹变，其文蔚也。小人革面，顺以从君也。
Line positions
5 of the six lines stand in their proper place (strong lines in odd places, weak lines in even places).
The second and fifth lines hold the central places of the lower and upper trigrams; being one strong and one weak, they correspond, and both are also in their proper places.
Of the three pairs of corresponding places (first and fourth, second and fifth, third and top), 2 pairs are made of one strong and one weak line.
| Line | Proper place | Central | Corresponds with |
|---|---|---|---|
| top (weak) | yes | — | 3rd line: yes |
| 5th (strong) | yes | yes | 2nd line: yes |
| 4th (strong) | — | — | 1st line: no |
| 3rd (strong) | yes | — | top line: yes |
| 2nd (weak) | yes | yes | 5th line: yes |
| 1st (strong) | yes | — | 4th line: no |
Strong lines belong in odd places and weak lines in even places; the second and fifth are the central places; first and fourth, second and fifth, third and top correspond, and they "respond" when one is strong and the other weak.
These are structural conventions, not scores of good or bad fortune. Commentators differ: Wang Bi treats the first and top places as beginning and end without fixed yin or yang positions. Read each line with its Small Image and the whole hexagram.
Place in Jing Fang's eight palaces
Jing Fang grouped the 64 hexagrams into eight "palaces" of eight, each headed by a doubled trigram. Changing the lines of the head hexagram one by one from the bottom gives the next five; the last two are the "wandering soul" and "returning soul" hexagrams. The Kan palace runs: Kǎn (head), Jié (1st change), Zhūn (2nd change), Jì Jì (3rd change), Gé (4th change), Fēng (5th change), Míng Yí (wandering soul), Shī (returning soul).
A recorded case from Takashima
Ge to Ji Ji: bad luck going, good luck coming: A friend asked about his fortunes and received the fourth line of Ge, "regret vanishes; with trust, changing the mandate brings good fortune". Takashima called it the hexagram of casting off the old: past troubles were over, and from now on he should change course, since carrying on as before would not pay. He explained "changing the mandate" with five-year cycles of fortune and the earth element.
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English text: James Legge, The Yi King (Sacred Books of the East, vol. 16, 1882), public domain, as transcribed by the Chinese Text Project. Chinese: the received text. Offered for study and reflection, not as prediction.