Literally, "Solah" means sixteen and "Kalaa" means skill, perfection, capability, power or potency etc. Combining both terms, "Solah Kalaa" ("ਸੋਲਹ ਕਲਾ ") means sixteen potencies etc.

When the Truth that has not been personally experienced, one can not grasp it directly. However, with the help of analogies, similes, allegories, metaphors, idioms, euphemism, symbolic expressions, figurative or mystic representations and illustrations etc, the Truth becomes relatively easier to grasp and digest. Gurbani enshrined within the the Sri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS) often employ them to deliver the universally relevant enlightening Spiritual Message.

There are multiple similes, allegories, metaphors, idioms etc. For example:

• Dog’s tail,
• Toe to Top,
• Wring Hands,
• Paap Punn,
• Fish Climbs a Tree,
• Ladles do not know the Taste Of Food They Cruise In,
• Chewing iron with the teeth of wax,
• Uphill climb,
• The wife gives birth to her husband,
• The son leads his father in play,
• Without breasts the mother nurses her baby,
• Son marries his mother,
• Without feet the mortal jumps,
• Without a mouth he bursts into laughter,
• Without feeling sleepy he lays down and sleeps,
• Without a churn the milk is churned,
• Without udders the cow gives milk,
• Without traveling a long journey is made,
• Destruction of wall,
• Son born before his mother,
• The guru falls at the feet of the disciple,
• Fish of the water gives birth upon a tree,
• Saw a cat carrying away a dog,
• Branches are below, and the roots are above,
• Trunk of tree bears fruits and flowers.
• Riding a horse, the buffalo goes out to graze,
• Bull is away, while the bull’s load (cart) has come home,
• Lion herds cows,
• Donkey grazes upon green grass,
• Gur Charan Kamal, Gur Charan Dhoorh, Gur Moorat,
• Chully,
• An empty vessel makes noise
• Walking along a double-edged sword,
• Cripple crossing over the mountain, and so on.

The purpose of employing this tool is to drive the Wisdom (Giyan) into heads of the immature learners (i.e. Sikhs, ਸਿਖਿਆਰਥੀ). Since all human languages are dynamic, the current form of these idioms may not be exactly the same as they appear in the SGGS. Nonetheless, here is another one –  "Solah Kalaa". that is employed to indicate 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||: (One who remembers / integrate the Divine Naam (Giyan /Wisdom / Virtues / Hukam) in daily life, his /her life becomes fruitful . That person realizes God of unlimited capabilities within. Nanak, by remembering the Amrit Naam, that person experiences bliss, joy and inner peace (i.e. enjoys the experience of God's Presence within).|16||2||9|| (sggs 1081).
• 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).
• 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).

One (the Gurmuk: enlightened / Guru Shabad-Oriented) realizes such perfection in his/her ultimate spiritual evolution by becoming one with God.

The Gurbano also uses the example of 'moon' which 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 ("Jot Saroop") enters the material nature of Maya, the "Jot Saroop" or one's True Nature fades away and the illusive Mayic nature, false ego-sense (Haumai) or vices/Bikaars become dominant. Moonless night is metaphor for our darkness of ignorance or falsehood. When our mind is overtaken by this darkness, the "moon" of Truth is not to be seen anywhere! But the moment the darkness of ignorance or falsehood begins to thin out, the "moon" of Truth begins to rise and gradually grows to it's fullness.

• 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).
• ਕਲਿ ਕਾਤੀ ਰਾਜੇ ਕਾਸਾਈ ਧਰਮੁ ਪੰਖ ਕਰਿ ਉਡਰਿਆ ॥ ਕੂੜੁ ਅਮਾਵਸ ਸਚੁ ਚੰਦ੍ਰਮਾ ਦੀਸੈ ਨਾਹੀ ਕਹ ਚੜਿਆ ॥ ਹਉ ਭਾਲਿ ਵਿਕੁੰਨੀ ਹੋਈ ॥ ਆਧੇਰੈ ਰਾਹੁ ਨ ਕੋਈ ॥ : ‘Kali’ (corrupt state of the mind) is like a sharp knife. Kings (and their officers) who protect the people are behaving like butchers (ਜਾਲਮ). The true principle of Dharma is as if taken wings and flown away. The falsehood all around seems to have spread like a pitch dark night (of Masya). The moon of truth is nowhere to be seen! I have grown frustrated in search for the moon of truth. In this darkness, I CAN NOT FIND THE PATH (‘ਰਾਹੁ’-Rah, ਮਾਰਗ-Marag). (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 ignorance ("sun") enter into the quality of Goodness ("moon"), the quality of ignorance fade away and the quality of Goodness becomes dominant. After transcending false ego-sense and all modes of material nature (Maya), one becomes established in inner Purity, Sahaj Avasthaa (Turiyaa, Intuitive Poise, State of Wisdom) or 'Jot Saroop'. 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: (Yogis asked Guru Nanak) "How can the Source of all (i.e. God) be realized? How can one knowself? How can the sun enter the house of the moon (i.e. how can ignorant mind be enlightened)?" (Guru Nanak answers) by becoming a Gurmukh (enlightened / Guru Shabad-Oriented) eliminating false ego-sense from within; then, you naturally enter the Sahaj Avasthaa. (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: Ekadasi: by turning away from ignorance and worldly desires, the person who engages in remembering One Divine .... the complete Self-knowledge menifests in his bosom, its like twelve suns have arisen in his inner being! He feels as if the Divine music always playing within. He realizes the Creator within.Such a wonder happens that an ordinary human being is transforms the embodiment of Creator. (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 (mind), the glory of the moon of Self-realization has shined forth. Night and day, I am in Bliss in the Company of my with my Beloved-God (sggs 372).
• ਪੂਨਿਉ ਪੂਰਾ ਚੰਦ ਅਕਾਸ ॥ ਪਸਰਹਿ ਕਲਾ ਸਹਜ ਪਰਗਾਸ ॥ ਆਦਿ ਅੰਤਿ ਮਧਿ ਹੋਇ ਰਹਿਆ ਥੀਰ ॥ ਸੁਖ ਸਾਗਰ ਮਹਿ ਰਮਹਿ ਕਬੀਰ ॥ ||16|| : Poonio pooraa chand akaas. Pasarahi kalaa sahaj paragaas. Aadi ant madhi hoi rahiaa theer. Sukh saagar mahi ramahi Kabeer : Puneo (full moon night), the moon shows in the sky in its full form. Similarly, the powers / laws of the Creator naturally apply and manifest everywhere. The Creator is eternally present: in the beginning, middle and end. Kabeer remains immersed in that Ocean of Peace (Sukh Sagar) — 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. ||16|| (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 ॥੩॥ : 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 : My companion, I have embellished myself like a bride embellishes with everything including eye shadows, necklace, garlands and betel-leaves. (Furthermore) I have embellished myself with sixteen kinds of makeups, and applies mascara to my eyes (i.e. I perform all rituals and forms of worship). But without Realization of the Beloved-God within, all my adornments (rituals / worship), are useless ||3|| (sggs 1361).

— T. Singh
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