"SOLAH KALAA"

"Solah" means sixteen and "Kalaa" means potency or power. Combining both terms, "Solah Kalaa" ("ਸੋਲਹ ਕਲਾ ") means sixteen potencies or powers. These sixteen potencies are indicated to be as follows: (1) Gnosis, (2) Dhiaan or deliberation, contemplation, concentration etc., (3) pious deeds, (4) perseverance, (5) self-discipline, (6) faith, (7)charity, (8) education or Ilam, (9) meditation or Simran, (10) sublime love, (11) celibacy, (12) spirituality, (13) compassion, (14) pledge or vow, (15) discrimination or Viveka-Budhi, (16) pure intellect.

Now the question one may ask is, "Is God limited only to sixteen potencies or powers?" The Gurbani says no, because, according to the Gurmat, God's potencies are "Anat" (Infinite) or "Biant" (Limitless). As such His powers cannot be limited to sixteen or any other finite number. Therefore, "Solah Kalaa" appears to be just an expression to indicate absolute completeness or perfection. It's like saying "hundred percent", "Sau Fee Sadee - ਸੌ ਫੀ ਸਦੀ ", "Solah Aanay - ਸੋਲਹ ਆਨੇ" (in old days Indian Rupee was equal to Solah Aanay. People from that era still use the expression "Solah Aanay" to indicate completeness of whatever they are talking about", and so on.

• ਸੋਲਹ ਕਲਾ ਸੰਪੂਰਨ ਫਲਿਆ ॥ ਅਨਤ ਕਲਾ ਹੋਇ ਠਾਕੁਰੁ ਚੜਿਆ ॥ ਅਨਦ ਬਿਨੋਦ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮਿ ਸੁਖ ਨਾਨਕ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਰਸੁ ਹਰਿ ਭੁੰਚਨਾ ॥੧੬॥੨॥੯॥: Solah kalaa sanpooran faliaa. Anat kalaa hoi thaakur charriaa. Anad binod har naam sukh Nanak amrit ras har bhunchanaa ||16||2||9||: The sixteen powers, absolute perfection and fruitful rewards are obtained, when the Lord of Infinite Power is revealed. The Lord's Name is Nanak's bliss, he drinks in this Amrit of the Lord. ||16||2||9|| (aggs 1080).
• ਅਗਮ ਅਗੋਚਰੁ ਬਿਅੰਤੁ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਤਾ ਕਾ ਅੰਤੁ ਨ ਪਾਈਐ ॥: Agam agochar biant suaamee taa kaa antu na paaeeai: The Lord is Inaccessible, unfathomable and Infinite. His limits cannot be found (sggs 1338).

One (the Gurmukh) realizes these potencies in his ultimate spiritual evolution by becoming one with God. That is, not as an individual (Haume being) separate from God, but by linking or merging with Him. Certain powers like creation, destruction (Pralaya), preservation, revealing, concealing etc., seems as God keeps for Himself.

• ਆਪੇ ਕੁਦਰਤਿ ਕਰੇ ਸਾਜਿ ॥: Aape kudarat kare saaj: By His Creative Power, God fashioned the creation (sggs 1170).
• ਓਪਤਿ ਪਰਲਉ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਤੇ ਹੋਵੈ ਇਹ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ਹਰਿ ਜਨੀ ॥: Oupat paralou prabh te hovai ih beechaaree har janee: Creation and destruction come only from God; this is what the Lord's humble servants believe (sggs 1186).
• ਅਨਦਿਨੁ ਸਾਰਿ ਸਮਾਲਿ ਹਰਿ ਰਾਖਹਿ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਸਹਜਿ ਸਮਾਵਣਿਆ ॥: Anadin saar samaal har raakhahi Gurmukh sahaj samaavaniaa: Night and day, the Lord takes care of us and protects us. By becoming the Gurmukh, get absorbed in Sahaj: Intuitive Peace and Poise (sggs 112).
• ਕਹਾ ਗੁਪਤੁ ਪ੍ਰਗਟੁ ਪ੍ਰਭਿ ਬਣਤ ਬਣਾਈ ॥: Kahaa gupat pragat prabh banat banaaee: Sometimes He is concealed, and sometimes He is revealed; thus God has made the world of His making (sggs 160).
• ਜਿਸੁ ਵੇਖਾਲੇ ਸੋਈ ਵੇਖੈ ਨਾਨਕ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਪਾਇ ॥: jis vekhaale soee vekhai Nanak Gurmukh paai: They alone see the Lord, unto whom He reveals Himself. O Nanak, the Gurmukhs realize Him (sggs 36).

The moon also goes through sixteen phases. After attaining all the sixteen phases it attains fullness or completeness. The night it attains completeness is called "full moon night or Punaya". These sixteen phases of the moon are called (1) Amritaa, (2) Maanadaa, (3) Pooshaa, (4) Pushati, (5) Tushati, (6) Rati, (7) Dhariti, (8) Shashani, (9) Chandaricaa, (10) Kaanti, (11) Jayotasana, (12) Sri, (13) Preeti, (14) Angadaa, (15) Poorantaa, and (16) Pooranaamritaa.

There is the expression in the Vaar of Bhai Gurdaas Jee, which goes like "moon enters the house of sun". With the rise of the sun, the moon fades away or the moon becomes veiled or dormant, leading to the moonless night (Amaavas). Similarly, when man's Pure Nature, Soul Consciousness, Intuitive Peace and Poise ("moon") enters the material nature of Maya ("sun"), the Soul Nature ("Joti-Svaroopa" or one's True Nature as Pure Consciousness) fades away and the illusion (Maya), egoism (Haume) or Bikaars (mind's negative propensities) become dominant. Moonless night is metaphor for our darkness of ignorance or falsehood (egoism). When our mind is overtaken by the darkness of egoism, the "moon" of Truth is not to be seen anywhere! But the moment the egoism begins to thin out, the "moon" of Truth begins to rise and gradually grows to it's fullness; bringing Divine Virtues like Peace, Contentment, Knowledge, Compassion, Inner Inquiry (Vichaar), etc.

• ਸੋਲਹ ਕਲਾ ਸੰਪੂਰਣੋ ਸਸਿ ਘਰ ਸੂਰਜ ਵਿਰਤੀ ਹਾਣੀ ॥: Solah kalaa sampoorano sasi ghar sooraj viratee haanee: When moon, the master of sixteen phases (Pure Nature) enters into the sun (material nature), it gets faded (Vaar Bhai Gurdaas, 7).
• ਕੂੜੁ ਅਮਾਵਸ ਸਚੁ ਚੰਦ੍ਰਮਾ ਦੀਸੈ ਨਾਹੀ ਕਹ ਚੜਿਆ ॥: koorr amaavus such chu(n)dhrumaa dheesai naahee keh charriaa: In this dark night of falsehood, the "moon" of Truth is not be seen anywhere (sggs 145).

Another expression used in the Gurbani and the Vaar of Bhai Gurdaas is "sun enters the house of moon". When the moon is out in its full glory, the sun is not to be seen. Similarly, if man's quality of passion and ignorance ("sun") enter into the quality of Goodness ("moon"), the qualities of passion and ignorance fade away and the quality of Goodness becomes dominant. After transcending egoism and all modes of material nature (Maya), one becomes established in inner Purity, Transcendental Consciousness, Sahaj Avasthaa (Turiyaa, Inner Peace, Intuitive Poise) or Soul Nature. As indicated in the Gurbani, the sun due to its hot nature is metaphor for the fiery ego or Raajas and Taamas Guna (passion and ignorance, respectively). Whereas the moon because of its cooling and soothing nature is metaphor for the mode of Goodness (Saatav Guna).

• ਕਿਉ ਮੂਲੁ ਪਛਾਣੈ ਆਤਮੁ ਜਾਣੈ ਕਿਉ ਸਸਿ ਘਰਿ ਸੂਰੁ ਸਮਾਵੈ ॥ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਹਉਮੈ ਵਿਚਹੁ ਖੋਵੈ ਤਉ ਨਾਨਕ ਸਹਜਿ ਸਮਾਵੈ ॥: Kio mool pashaanai aatam jaanai kio sasi ghari soor samaavai. Gurmukhi hayumai vichahau khovai tayu Nanak Sahaj Samaavai: "How can the Root, the Source of all be realized? How can the Soul know itself? How can the sun enter the house of the moon?" By becoming a Gurmukh (Spiritual Being) eliminate the egoism from within; then, O Nanak, you naturally enter the Sahaj Avasthaa--sun (Maya's fire) enters into the home of the moon or Soul Nature (sggs 945).
• ਬਾਰਹ ਸੋਲਹ ਮੇਲ ਕਰ ਸਸੀਅਰ ਅੰਦਰ ਸੂਰ ਸਮਾਯਾ ॥: Baarah solah mel kar saseear andar soor samaayaa: Combining twelve (months) and sixteen (phases of moon) the "sun" merges into the "moon" - Maya's material nature gets absobed into the Pure Being (Vaar Bhai Gurdaas, 7)
• ਏਕਾਦਸੀ ਏਕ ਦਿਸ ਧਾਵੈ ॥...ਬਾਰਸਿ ਬਾਰਹ ਉਗਵੈ ਸੂਰ ॥ ਅਹਿਨਿਸਿ ਬਾਜੇ ਅਨਹਦ ਤੂਰ ॥ ਦੇਖਿਆ ਤਿਹੂੰ ਲੋਕ ਕਾ ਪੀਉ ॥ ਅਚਰਜੁ ਭਇਆ ਜੀਵ ਤੇ ਸੀਉ ॥: Ekaadasee ek dis dhaavai...Baarasi baahar oogavai soor. Ahinis baajai anahad toor. Dekhiaa tihoon lok kaa peeou. Acharaj bhaiaa jeev te seeou: The person who engages in remembering One Divine ("ek dis dhaavai"), the complete Self-knowledge menifests in his bosom, its like twelve suns have arisen in his inner being! Day and night, he hears the celestial bugles vibrating the unstruck melody within, and he beholds the Father of the three worlds. This is so wonderful! A common man thus becomes God! (sggs 344).
• ਆਂਗਨਿ ਮੇਰੈ ਸੋਭਾ ਚੰਦ॥ਨਿਸਿ ਬਾਸੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਿਅ ਸੰਗਿ ਅਨੰਦ ॥: Aangan merai sobhaa chand. Nisi baasur priya sangi anand: Within the courtyard of my Heart, the glory of the moon of Self-realization has shined forth. Night and day, I am in Bliss with my Beloved (sggs 372).
• ਪੂਨਿਉ ਪੂਰਾ ਚੰਦ ਅਕਾਸ॥ਪਸਰਹਿ ਕਲਾ ਸਹਜ ਪਰਗਾਸ ॥ ਆਦਿ ਅੰਤਿ ਮਧਿ ਹੋਇ ਰਹਿਆ ਥੀਰ ॥ ਸੁਖ ਸਾਗਰ ਮਹਿ ਰਮਹਿ ਕਬੀਰ ॥: Poonio pooraa chand akaas. Pasarahi kalaa sahaj paragaas. Aadi ant madhi hoi rahiaa theer. Sukh saagar mahi ramahi Kabeer: The ever present (beginning, middle and end) Divine is the Ocean of Peace, O Kabeer, immers in that Ocean and meditate on Him. By doing so, the Sahaj Avasthaa will shine forth within, just as on the day of the full moon, the moon shines forth in its full glory (sggs 344).

Also, the term "Sixteen" is found in the SGGS associated with Solah Shingaar— sixteen adoration. In addition, it's also found associated with "Solahe". These are the Shabads generally containing sixteen stanzas (for example, see SGGS page 1021, ਮਾਰੂ ਸੋਲਹੇ ਮਹਲਾ ੧).

• ਸਖੀ ਕਾਜਲ ਹਾਰ ਤੰਬੋਲ ਸਭੈ ਕਿਛੁ ਸਾਜਿਆ ॥ ਸੋਲਹ ਕੀਏ ਸੀਗਾਰ ਕਿ ਅੰਜਨੁ ਪਾਜਿਆ ॥ ਜੇ ਘਰਿ ਆਵੈ ਕੰਤੁ ਤ ਸਭੁ ਕਿਛੁ ਪਾਈਐ ॥ ਹਰਿਹਾਂ ਕੰਤੈ ਬਾਝੁ ਸੀਗਾਰੁ ਸਭੁ ਬਿਰਥਾ ਜਾਈਐ ॥: Sakhee kaajal haar tambol sabhai kishh saajiaa. Solah keee singaar ki anjan pajiaa. Je ghar aavai kant ta sabh kish paaeeai. Harihaan kantai baajh seegar sabh birathaa jaaeeai: O my companion, I prepare everything to decorate my body: make-up, garlands and betel-leaves. I embellish my body with the sixteen decorations, and apply the mascara to my eyes. (but, only) If my Divine Beloved comes to my inner Home, then I obtain everything. Without Realization of the Divine Beloved, all these adornments of the body are useless (sggs 1361).

— T. Singh
www.gurbani.org