Hexagram 50 of 64 · King Wen order
鼎The Caldron
Dǐng · ䷱ · above: Fire ☲ 離 Lí · below: Wind ☴ 巽 Xùn
Cultural and spiritual refinement; the vessel that transforms raw materials into something sacred.A one-line gloss written for this site (AI-assisted). Everything below it is the classical text.
The Judgment 卦辭
元吉，亨。
Ting gives the intimation of great progress and success.
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 Ting we have (symbolically) the figure of a caldron. (We see) the (symbol of) wood entering into that of fire, which suggests the idea of cooking. The sages cooked their offerings in order to present them to God, and made great feasts to nourish their wise and able (ministers).
2. We have the symbol of) flexible obedience, and that (which denotes) ears quick of hearing and eyes clear-sighted. (We have also) the weak (line) advanced and acting above, in the central place, and responded to by the strong (line below). All these things give the idea of 'great progress and success.'
The Image 象
木上有火，鼎；君子以正位凝命。
(The trigram representing) wood and above it that for fire form Ting. The superior man, in accordance with this, keeps his every position correct, and maintains secure the appointment (of Heaven).
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 初六
The first line from the bottom, yin (broken, six)
鼎顛趾，利出否，得妾以其子，無咎。
The first SIX, divided, shows the caldron overthrown and its feet turned up. (But) there will be advantage in its getting rid of what was bad in it. (Or it shows us) the concubine (whose position is improved) by means of her son. There will be no error.
Small Image: 'The caldron is overturned, and its feet turned upwards:'—but this is not (all) contrary (to what is right). 'There will be advantage in getting rid of what was bad:'—thereby (the subject of the line) will follow the more noble (subject of the fourth line).
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 14, Possession in Great Measure.
Line 2 九二
The second line from the bottom, yang (solid, nine)
鼎有實，我仇有疾，不我能即，吉。
The second NINE, undivided, shows the caldron with the things (to be cooked) in it. (If its subject can say), 'My enemy dislikes me, but he cannot approach me,' there will be good fortune.
Small Image: 'There is the caldron with the things (to be cooked) in it:'—let (the subject of the line) be careful where he goes. 'My enemy dislikes me:'—but there will in the end be no fault (to which he can point).
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 56, The Wanderer.
Line 3 九三
The third line from the bottom, yang (solid, nine)
鼎耳革，其行塞，雉膏不食，方雨虧悔，終吉。
The third NINE, undivided, shows the caldron with (the places of) its ears changed. The progress (of its subject) is (thus) stopped. The fat flesh of the pheasant (which is in the caldron) will not be eaten. But the (genial) rain will come, and the grounds for repentance will disappear. There will be good fortune in the end.
Small Image: 'There is the caldron with (the places for) its ears changed:'—(its subject) has failed in what was required of him (in his situation).
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 64, Before Completion.
Line 4 九四
The fourth line from the bottom, yang (solid, nine)
鼎折足，覆公餗，其形渥，凶。
The fourth NINE, undivided, shows the caldron with its feet broken; and its contents, designed for the ruler's use, overturned and spilt. Its Subject will be made to blush for shame. There will be evil.
Small Image: 'The contents designed for the ruler's use are overturned and spilt:'—how can (the subject of the line) be trusted?
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 18, Work on what has been spoiled.
Line 5 六五
The fifth line from the bottom, yin (broken, six)
鼎黃耳金鉉，利貞。
The fifth SIX, divided, shows the caldron with yellow ears and rings of metal in them. There will be advantage through being firm and correct.
Small Image: 'The caldron has yellow ears:'—the central position (of the line) is taken as (a proof of) the solid (virtue of its subject).
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 44, Coming to Meet.
Line 6 上九
The sixth line from the bottom, yang (solid, nine)
鼎玉鉉，大吉，無不利。
The sixth NINE, undivided, shows the caldron with rings of jade. There will be great good fortune, and all action taken will be in every way advantageous.
Small Image: 'The rings of jade' are at the very top:—the strong and the weak meet in their due proportions.
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 32, Duration.
Related hexagrams
lines 2-4 below, 3-5 aboveOpposite 錯卦3. Difficulty at the Beginning 屯
every line changedInverse 綜卦49. Revolution 革
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.