| Name | 噬嗑 Shì Kè, “Biting Through” |
|---|---|
| Upper trigram | ☲ 离 Fire: clarity and attachment |
| Lower trigram | ☳ 震 Thunder: sudden movement |
The Judgment
亨，利用狱。
Success. Wise to administer justice.
Something is blocking the flow. Cut through it cleanly — no flinching.
The Image
雷电，噬嗑；先王以明罚敕法。
Thunder and lightning together — Biting Through. The ancient kings made clear the laws and set firm penalties.
When the rules are clear and visible, everyone can move. Vagueness protects no one.
The six lines
If a line changes in your cast, read its text below. Lines are numbered from the bottom.
Line 1 · first (bottom) · Yang
屦校灭趾，无咎。
Feet locked in stocks, toes hidden. No blame.
Caught early, the lesson is small. Better a small stumble now than a real fall later.
Line 2 · second · Yin
噬肤灭鼻，无咎。
Biting through tender meat — biting off the nose. No blame.
You went a little hard on someone who was an easy target. Not a crime, but check yourself.
Line 3 · third · Yin
噬腊肉，遇毒，小吝，无咎。
Biting on old dried meat and meeting something poisonous. A little shame. No blame.
Trying to clean up an old situation and tasting the worst of it. Unpleasant — but you'll get through.
Line 4 · fourth · Yang
噬干胏，得金矢，利艰贞，吉。
Biting on dried meat with bone. Gets metal arrows. Wise to persevere through hardship. Fortune.
The block is real and the work is hard, but you've got the tools. Stay sharp — fortune is on the other side.
Line 5 · fifth · Yin
噬干肉，得黄金，贞厉，无咎。
Biting on dried meat. Gets yellow gold. Stay true — danger. No blame.
A breakthrough that comes with real reward. But the stakes are high — stay honest and you stay clean.
Line 6 · top · Yang
何校灭耳，凶。
Wearing a yoke that hides the ears. Misfortune.
Stuck in the same correction you refused to learn from. Ignored too many warnings — now they're loud.
Related hexagrams
- Inverted (turned upside down): Hexagram 22, Grace
- Complement (every line reversed): Hexagram 48, The Well