Hexagram 62 · ䷽

Small Exceeding

小過 · Xiǎo Guò

Upper Thunder 震Lower Mountain 艮

The Judgment · 卦辭

亨。利貞。可小事，不可大事。飛鳥遺之音，不宜上宜下，大吉。

Hsiâo Kwo indicates that (in the circumstances which it implies) there will be progress and attainment. [paragraph continues] But it will be advantageous to be firm and correct. (What the name denotes) may be done in small affairs, but not in great affairs. (It is like) the notes that come down from a bird on the wing;--to descend is better than to ascend. There will (in this way) be great good fortune.

The Image · 大象

山上有雷，小過；君子以行過乎恭，喪過乎哀，用過乎儉。

(The trigram representing) a hill and that for thunder above it form Hsiâo Kwo. The superior man, in accordance with this, in his conduct exceeds in humility, in mourning exceeds in sorrow, and in his expenditure exceeds in economy.

Plain-English Meaning

Small preponderance. Attend to small things; modesty and care beat ambitious leaps.

The Judgment

Small things can be done, great things should not; better to fly low than high.

The Image

Like thunder on the mountain, lean towards humility, sorrow and economy.

Editorial summary written for this site; not a translation.

The Lines · 爻辭

初六 · Line 1
飛鳥以凶。
The first SIX, divided, suggests (the idea of) a bird flying, (and ascending) till the issue is evil.
象曰：飛鳥以凶，不可如何也。
六二 · Line 2
過其祖，遇其妣；不及其君，遇其臣；无咎。
The second SIX, divided, shows its subject passing by his grandfather, and meeting with his grandmother; not attempting anything against his ruler, but meeting him as his minister. There will be no error.
象曰：不及其君，臣不可過也。
九三 · Line 3
弗過防之，從或戕之，凶。
The third NINE, undivided, shows its subject taking no extraordinary precautions against danger; and some in consequence finding opportunity to assail and injure him. There will be evil.
象曰：從或戕之，凶如何也。
九四 · Line 4
无咎，弗過遇之。往厲必戒，勿用永貞。
The fourth NINE, undivided, shows its subject falling into no error, but meeting (the exigency of his situation), without exceeding (in his natural. course). If he go forward, there will be peril, and he must be cautious. There is no occasion to be using firmness perpetually.
象曰：弗過遇之，位不當也。往厲必戒，終不可長也。
六五 · Line 5
密雲不雨，自我西郊，公弋取彼在穴。
The fifth SIX, divided, (suggests the idea) of dense clouds, but no rain, coming from our borders in the west. It also (shows) the prince shooting his arrow, and taking the bird in a cave.
象曰：密云不雨，已上也。
上六 · Line 6
弗遇過之，飛鳥離之，凶，是謂災眚。
The sixth SIX, divided, shows. its subject not meeting (the exigency of his situation), and exceeding (his proper course). (It suggests the idea of) a bird flying far aloft. There will be evil. The case is what is called one of calamity and self-produced injury.
象曰：弗遇過之，已亢也。

English: James Legge (1882), public domain · Text · Image (Appendix II), sacred-texts.com.

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