Hexagram 26 of 64 · King Wen order
大畜The Taming Power of the Great
Dà Chù · ䷙ · above: Mountain ☶ 艮 Gèn · below: Heaven ☰ 乾 Qián
Accumulating great internal resources and wisdom to handle significant challenges.A one-line gloss written for this site (AI-assisted). Everything below it is the classical text.
The Judgment 卦辭
利貞，不家食吉，利涉大川。
Under the conditions of Tâ Khû it will be advantageous to be firm and correct. (If its subject do not seek to) enjoy his revenues in his own family (without taking service at court), there will be good fortune. It will be advantageous for him to cross the great stream.
James Legge, The Yî King (1882), the Text. Words in (parentheses) are Legge's own additions.
Commentary on the Judgment 彖傳 (Tuan, the first Wing)
1. In (the trigrams composing) Ta Khu we have (the attributes) of the greatest strength and of substantial solidity, which emit a brilliant light; and indicate a daily renewal of his virtue (by the subject of it).
2. The strong line is in the highest place, and suggests the value set on talents and virtue; there is power (in the upper trigram) to keep the strongest in restraint:—all this shows 'the great correctness' (required in the hexagram).
3. 'The good fortune attached to the subject's not seeking to enjoy his revenues in his own family' shows how talents and virtue are nourished.
4. 'It will be advantageous to cross the great stream:'—(the fifth line, representing the ruler,) is responded to by (the second, the central line of Khien, representing) Heaven.
The Image 象
天在山中，大畜；君子以多識前言往行，以畜其德。
(The trigram representing) a mountain, and in the midst of it that (representing) heaven, form Tâ Khû. The superior man, in accordance with this, stores largely in his memory the words and deeds of former men, to subserve the accumulation of his virtue.
Legge's Great Image (Appendix II). The Chinese above also carries the Small Images of the six lines.
The six lines 爻辭
Read from the bottom (line 1) to the top (line 6). Each line: the Chinese, Legge's translation, and the Small Image commentary on it.
Line 1 初九
The first line from the bottom, yang (solid, nine)
有厲利已。
The first NINE, undivided, shows its subject in a position of peril. It will be advantageous for him to stop his advance.
Small Image: 'He is in a position of peril; it will be advantageous for him to stop his advance:'—he should not rashly expose himself to calamity.
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 18, Work on what has been spoiled.
Line 2 九二
The second line from the bottom, yang (solid, nine)
輿說輻。
The second NINE, undivided, shows a carriage with the strap under it removed.
Small Image: '(He is as) a carriage from which the strap under it has been removed:'—being in the central position, he will incur no blame.
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 22, Grace.
Line 3 九三
The third line from the bottom, yang (solid, nine)
良馬逐，利艱貞。日閑輿衛，利有攸往。
The third NINE, undivided, shows its subject urging his way with good horses. It will be advantageous for him to realise the difficulty (of his course), and to be firm and correct, exercising himself daily in his charioteering and methods of defence; then there will be advantage in whatever direction he may advance.
Small Image: 'There will be advantage in whatever direction he may advance:'—(the subject of) the topmost line is of the same mind with him.
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 41, Decrease.
Line 4 六四
The fourth line from the bottom, yin (broken, six)
童牛之牿，元吉。
The fourth SIX, divided, shows the young bull, (and yet) having the piece of wood over his horns. There will be great good fortune.
Small Image: 'The great good fortune indicated by the fourth six, (divided),' shows that there is occasion for joy.
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 14, Possession in Great Measure.
Line 5 六五
The fifth line from the bottom, yin (broken, six)
豶豕之牙，吉。
The fifth SIX, divided, shows the teeth of a castrated hog. There will be good fortune.
Small Image: 'The good fortune indicated by the fifth six, (divided),' shows that there is occasion for congratulation.
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 9, The Taming Power of the Small.
Line 6 上九
The sixth line from the bottom, yang (solid, nine)
何天之衢，亨。
The sixth NINE, undivided, shows its subject (as) in command of the firmament of heaven. There will be progress.
Small Image: 'In command of the firmament of heaven:'—the way is grandly open for movement.
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 11, Peace.
Related hexagrams
lines 2-4 below, 3-5 aboveOpposite 錯卦45. Gathering Together 萃
every line changedInverse 綜卦25. Innocence 無妄
turned upside down
A hexagram is a mirror, not a command: read it to reflect, never to obey. Sources: James Legge (tr.), The Yî King, Sacred Books of the East vol. XVI (Oxford, 1882; 2nd ed. 1899), public domain; the Chinese text from Project Gutenberg ebook #25501 (易經), public domain. The trigram facts and the related hexagrams are computed from the line pattern. The gloss, selection and arrangement are CC-BY-SA-4.0 (PlayfulProcess). Data: github.com/PlayfulProcess/recursive-iching.