Nà Jiǎ
NÀJIǍ · 纳甲 · STEM-BRANCH ASSIGNMENT IN HEXAGRAM DIVINATION
KEY TAKEAWAYS / TL;DR
- ◈Nàjiǎ (纳甲, "Stem Embedding") is the technical system that assigns Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches to each line of an I Ching hexagram, transforming abstract Yin-Yang patterns into Five Element calculations.
- ◈Invented by Jīng Fáng (京房, 77–37 BCE), Nàjiǎ is the algorithmic core of Liuyao (六爻) divination — without it, you cannot derive the Six Relations (六亲), identify the Yòng Shén (用神), or calculate whether a prediction is auspicious or inauspicious.
- ◈Each trigram "absorbs" a specific set of Stems and Branches based on its Yin/Yang polarity and sequence in the Later Heaven Bagua. These assignments are fixed and universally agreed upon — they are lookup values, not interpretive judgments.
THE ASSIGNMENT PRINCIPLE
Nàjiǎ assigns Stems and Branches to trigrams according to two rules:
Stem Assignment (纳干)
The eight trigrams split into Father-line (乾-震-坎-艮) and Mother-line (坤-巽-离-兑). Father-line trigrams absorb Yang Stems; Mother-line trigrams absorb Yin Stems. Specifically: Qián uses Jiǎ/Rén (甲壬), Kūn uses Yǐ/Guǐ (乙癸), Zhèn uses Gēng (庚), Xùn uses Xīn (辛), Kǎn uses Wù (戊), Lí uses Jǐ (己), Gèn uses Bǐng (丙), Duì uses Dīng (丁).
Branch Assignment (纳支)
Each trigram is assigned a starting Branch and a counting direction. Yang trigams count forward (ascending); Yin trigrams count backward (descending). The specific starting Branches and skipping patterns vary by trigram, producing a unique 6-Branch sequence for each of the 8 pure hexagrams, which then extend to all 64 hexagrams via upper/lower trigram combination.
NÀJIǍ REFERENCE TABLE
The complete Stem-Branch assignments for all eight trigrams. The inner trigram (lower, 内卦) occupies Lines 1–3; the outer trigram (upper, 外卦) occupies Lines 4–6:
| Trigram | Stem | Dir | L1 | L2 | L3 | L4 | L5 | L6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ☰ Qián (乾) | 甲/壬 | Yang ↑ | 子 Water | 寅 Wood | 辰 Earth | 午 Fire | 申 Metal | 戌 Earth |
| ☷ Kūn (坤) | 乙/癸 | Yin ↓ | 未 Earth | 巳 Fire | 卯 Wood | 丑 Earth | 亥 Water | 酉 Metal |
| ☳ Zhèn (震) | 庚 | Yang ↑ | 子 Water | 寅 Wood | 辰 Earth | 午 Fire | 申 Metal | 戌 Earth |
| ☴ Xùn (巽) | 辛 | Yin ↓ | 丑 Earth | 亥 Water | 酉 Metal | 未 Earth | 巳 Fire | 卯 Wood |
| ☵ Kǎn (坎) | 戊 | Yang ↑ | 寅 Wood | 辰 Earth | 午 Fire | 申 Metal | 戌 Earth | 子 Water |
| ☲ Lí (离) | 己 | Yin ↓ | 卯 Wood | 丑 Earth | 亥 Water | 酉 Metal | 未 Earth | 巳 Fire |
| ☶ Gèn (艮) | 丙 | Yang ↑ | 辰 Earth | 午 Fire | 申 Metal | 戌 Earth | 子 Water | 寅 Wood |
| ☱ Duì (兑) | 丁 | Yin ↓ | 巳 Fire | 卯 Wood | 丑 Earth | 亥 Water | 酉 Metal | 未 Earth |
FROM NÀJIǍ TO SIX RELATIONS
Once every line has a Branch (and thus an Element), the next step is determining the Six Relations (六亲, Liù Qīn) — the relationship between each line's element and the hexagram's Palace element:
Parent (父母)
The element that GENERATES the Palace element. Represents documents, contracts, academic matters, parents, and protection.
Sibling (兄弟)
The SAME element as the Palace. Represents competition, peers, spending, and cooperation.
Offspring (子孙)
The element that the Palace GENERATES. Represents children, subordinates, blessings, and elimination of threats.
Wealth (妻财)
The element that the Palace CONTROLS. Represents money, wife/partner, material assets, and things to be gained.
Officer/Ghost (官鬼)
The element that CONTROLS the Palace. Represents authority, pressure, illness, ghosts, and the government.
THE YÒNG SHÉN IN LIUYAO
The Yòng Shén (用神, "Useful Spirit") is whichever Six Relation line corresponds to the subject being asked about:
- →Asking about career/exams → Yòng Shén = Officer/Ghost (官鬼)
- →Asking about money/investment → Yòng Shén = Wealth (妻财)
- →Asking about health/safety → Yòng Shén = Offspring (子孙)
- →Asking about documents/housing → Yòng Shén = Parent (父母)
- →Asking about friends/partnerships → Yòng Shén = Sibling (兄弟)
The Yòng Shén's strength (旺/衰), movement (动/静), and relationship with the Day Branch (日支) determine the ANSWER. A strong, active, supported Yòng Shén = favorable outcome. A weak, clashed, or voided Yòng Shén = unfavorable.
Source: Wikipedia — Jing Fang; I Ching divination; Liu Yao (Six Lines)