Hexagram 21
噬嗑 Shì Kè · Biting through
Legge: Shih Ho
☲ Fire (Lí) above ☳ Thunder (Zhèn)
Scryway summary
Modern commentary written for Scryway. Not part of the classic text.
An obstacle that must be bitten through. Clear, fair and decisive action.
The judgment
Shih Ho indicates successful progress (in the condition of things which it supposes). It will be advantageous to use legal constraints.
The image
(The trigrams representing) thunder and lightning form Shih Ho. The ancient kings, in accordance with this, framed their penalties with intelligence, and promulgated their laws.
The lines, bottom to top
- Bottom line, solid
The first line, undivided, shows one with his feet in the stocks and deprived of his toes. There will be no error.
- Second line, broken
The second line, divided, shows one biting through the soft flesh, and (going on to) bite off the nose. There will be no error.
- Third line, broken
The third line, divided, shows one gnawing dried flesh, and meeting with what is disagreeable. There will be occasion for some small regret, but no (great) error.
- Fourth line, solid
The fourth line, undivided, shows one gnawing the flesh dried on the bone, and getting the pledges of money and arrows. It will be advantageous to him to realise the difficulty of his task and be firm,—in which case there will be good fortune.
- Fifth line, broken
The fifth line, divided, shows one gnawing at dried flesh, and finding the yellow gold. Let him be firm and correct, realising the peril (of his position). There will be no error.
- Top line, solid
The sixth line, undivided, shows one wearing the cangue, and deprived of his ears. There will be evil.
Quoted from James Legge (trans.), The Yi King, Sacred Books of the East vol. XVI, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1882. Public domain. The image is from Legge’s Appendix II. Words in parentheses are Legge’s additions.