What this hexagram is about
Wind moving over the water — the image of dispersion and dissolving away. It tells how to gather hearts anew when they have scattered: move others by sincerity, draw together after the scattering, and dissolve the barriers between.
The Judgment 卦辞
涣，亨。王假有庙，利涉大川，利贞。
Success. The king approaches his temple. It is favorable to cross the great river. Favorable to persevere.
The Image 大象传
《象》曰：风行水上，涣；先王以享于帝立庙。
Wind moves over the water, dispersing; so the ancient kings made offering to God and raised their temples.
Commentary on the Lines 小象传
初六之吉，顺也。
The good fortune at the start — it comes through yielding accord.
The Six Lines (hover over the figure above)
Six at the top涣其血，去逖出，无咎。
To disperse and drive far off the harm and the trouble, sending it far away — there is no fault.
Nine in the fifth place涣汗其大号，涣王居，无咎。
To issue great commands as freely as scattering sweat — orders that, once given, sink deep into hearts — and to scatter abroad the sovereign's own hoard for the good of all; there is no fault.
Nine in the fourth place涣其群，元吉。涣有丘，匪夷所思。
To dissolve one's own clique and faction — breaking up the private band to forge a greater unity — the highest good fortune. To gather the scattered into a host vast as a hill is no thing the common run could conceive.
Six in the third place涣其躬，无悔。
To dissolve away one's own selfish thoughts — mastering oneself and forgetting private gain, to relieve the dispersion — there is no remorse.
Nine in the second place涣奔其机，悔亡。
In the time of dispersion, one hurries to the support one can lean on — returning quickly to a safe footing, finding something firm to rest upon — remorse fades away.
Initial Six用拯马壮，吉。
While the horse is still strong, to throw all one's strength into the rescue in good time — at the first scattering, to move swiftly to bring things back together — good fortune.