大有Great Holdings
dà yǒuAlso known as “Possession in Great Measure” (Wilhelm/Baynes) and “Tâ Yû” (Legge)
In plain words
Fire above heaven: the sun lighting everything. Great holdings and supreme success — one yielding line at the centre holds the respect of all the strong ones.
The attitude it asks for
Great possession asks for generosity and clear judgement: curb the bad, promote the good, and follow what is right.
Structure
卦辭 The Judgment
大有：元亨。Tâ Yû indicates that, (under the circumstances which it implies), there will be great progress and success.
大有，柔得尊位，大中而上下應之，曰大有。其德剛健而文明，應乎天而時行，是以元亨。In Tâ Yû the weak (line) has the place of honour, is grandly central, and (the strong lines) above and below respond to it. Hence comes its name of Tâ Yû (Having what is Great). The attributes (of its component trigrams) are strength and vigour with elegance and brightness. (The ruling line in it) responds to (the ruling line in the symbol of) heaven, and (consequently) its action is (all) at the proper times. In this way (it is said to) indicate great progress and success.
火在天上，大有；君子以遏惡揚善，順天休命。(The trigram for) heaven and (that of) fire above it form Tâ Yû. The superior man, in accordance with this, represses what is evil and gives distinction to what is good, in sympathy with the excellent Heaven-conferred (nature).
爻辭 The six lines
When one line moves, the hexagram becomes another:
- 上九Nine at the top
自天祐之，吉无不利。
The topmost line, undivided, shows its subject with help accorded to him from Heaven. There will be good fortune, advantage in every respect.
Its symbolism 大有上吉，自天佑也。
'The good fortune attached to the topmost line of Tâ Yû' arises from the help of Heaven.
- 六五Six in the fifth place
厥孚交如，威如；吉。
The fifth line, divided, shows the sincerity of its subject reciprocated by that of all the others (represented in the hexagram). Let him display a proper majesty, and there will be good fortune.
Its symbolism 厥孚交如，信以發志也。威如之吉，易而无備也。
'His sincerity is reciprocated by all the others:'—his sincerity serves to stir and call out what is in their minds. 'The good fortune springing from a display of proper majesty' shows how they might (otherwise) feel too easy, and make no preparation (to serve him).
- 九四Nine in the fourth place
匪其彭，无咎。
The fourth line, undivided, shows its subject keeping his great resources under restraint. There will be no error.
Its symbolism 匪其彭，无咎；明辨晰也。
'He keeps his great resources under restraint:'—his wisdom discriminates clearly (what he ought to do).
- 九三Nine in the third place
公用亨于天子，小人弗克。
The third line, undivided, shows us a feudal prince presenting his offerings to the Son of Heaven. A small man would be unequal (to such a duty).
Its symbolism 公用亨于天子，小人害也。
'A feudal prince presents his offerings to the son of Heaven:'—a small man (in such a position) does (himself) harm.
- 九二Nine in the second place
大車以載，有攸往，无咎。
In the second line, undivided, we have a large waggon with its load. In whatever direction advance is made, there will be no error.
Its symbolism 大車以載，積中不敗也。
'A large waggon with its load' refers to the (virtue) accumulated (in the subject of the line), so that he will suffer no loss (in the conduct of affairs).
- 初九Nine at the beginning
无交害，匪咎，艱則无咎。
In the first line, undivided, there is no approach to what is injurious, and there is no error. Let there be a realisation of the difficulty (and danger of the position), and there will be no error (to the end).
Its symbolism 大有初九，无交害也。
This first line, undivided, of Tâ Yû shows no approach to what is injurious.
Shown in the classical Chinese with James Legge's English (1882).
Read 大有 Great Holdings for a question about
古籍
From the classics
Two of the Ten Wings speak of every hexagram: the Sequence (Xù Guà) says why it follows the one before, the Miscellany (Zá Guà) sums it up in a phrase. Here is what they say of 大有 dà yǒu · Great Holdings.
與人同者，物必歸焉，故受之以大有。To one who is at one with others, things are sure to come; therefore Dà Yǒu follows.
iching.tools translation (from the Chinese)
大有眾也，同人親也。Dà Yǒu is the multitude; Tóng Rén is closeness.
iching.tools translation (from the Chinese)
The classical Chinese is the authoritative text. Translations are iching.tools' own from the Chinese unless another translator is named; several attributions are traditional rather than historical (託名).
Questions about this hexagram
- What does Hexagram 14, Great Holdings, mean?
- Fire above heaven: the sun lighting everything. Great holdings and supreme success — one yielding line at the centre holds the respect of all the strong ones.
- Which trigrams form Great Holdings?
- 離 above 乾 — fire over heaven. Its nuclear hexagram (lines 2–5) is 夬 Decisiveness.
- What happens when a line of Great Holdings changes?
- A moving line turns the hexagram into another one; the list above shows all six. With several moving lines, the guide to changing lines explains which text to read.
- How do I get Great Holdings in a reading?
- Build six lines from the bottom up with three coins or yarrow stalks; the pattern — — — — - - — is Great Holdings. You can also cast a reading here — the lines are decided by code, the text is this page's.
Chinese text: the received Zhouyi (Wuyingdian lineage). English: James Legge, The Yî King, Sacred Books of the East XVI, 1882 (public domain).