The judgment
遯:亨,小利貞。
Retreat succeeds. It is favorable to stay true in small matters: withdrawing well is its own skill.
Received text; plain English after the Chinese. Source: 周易經傳 (public-domain). Passage: hex33.judgment.
The image
象曰:天下有山,遁。君子以遠小人,不惡而嚴。
Mountain under heaven: retreat. A capable person keeps distance from petty people without hating them, and stays firm.
Received text; plain English after the Chinese. Source: 周易經傳 (public-domain). Passage: hex33.image.
Leaving at the right time is a move, not a loss.
The six lines
Each line is a stage, from the bottom of the hexagram to the top. Open any line to read it in plain English.
初六 遯尾,厲,勿用有攸往。 Retreating at the tail, last in line. Dangerous; do not try to go anywhere now.
Retreating at the tail, last in line. Dangerous; do not try to go anywhere now.
六二 執之用黃牛之革,莫之勝說。 Held with the hide of a yellow cow: nothing can pull it loose. The bond is firm; do not try to break it.
Held with the hide of a yellow cow: nothing can pull it loose. The bond is firm; do not try to break it.
九三 系遯,有疾厲,畜臣妾吉。 Tied down while retreating: illness and danger. Keeping close servants is lucky, but the big move is blocked.
Tied down while retreating: illness and danger. Keeping close servants is lucky, but the big move is blocked.
九四 好遯君子吉,小人否。 A graceful retreat: lucky for a capable person, not for a petty one. Letting go well is a skill.
A graceful retreat: lucky for a capable person, not for a petty one. Letting go well is a skill.
九五 嘉遯,貞吉。 A praiseworthy retreat. Stay true and it is lucky: you leave with your name intact.
A praiseworthy retreat. Stay true and it is lucky: you leave with your name intact.
上九 肥遯,無不利。 A comfortable retreat. Nothing unfavorable: distance gives you room to live.
A comfortable retreat. Nothing unfavorable: distance gives you room to live.