Sixteen Kalas/Phases of the Moon
The Lunar Cycle and the Origin of the Sixteen Kalaas
The lunar month lasts about 29.5 days. Ancient Indian mathematicians preferred working with whole numbers, so they rounded this cycle to 30 units, calling each unit a Kalaa. Each Kalaa is therefore slightly less than a day in duration.
Ancient Seers saw the waxing and waning of the moon as a mirror of the human mind — rising, falling, expanding, and contracting. Just as the moon grows in brightness and then fades into darkness, the mind too shifts through phases of clarity and withdrawal.
In Vedic thought, the bright and dark halves of the lunar cycle are not just astronomy — they are metaphors for two fundamental Tattvas (principles of existence):
- Shakti Tattva — the dynamic principle or cosmic energy
- Shiva Tattva — the still, formless consciousness
Men of wisdom therefore understood the sixteen Kalaas of the waxing moon (from new moon to full moon) as the progressive expressions of Shakti – the unfolding powers of cosmic energy as it moves toward fullness.
Tattva abstraction – The First lession in Vedic science
The first step in Vedic sciences is learning how reality is broken down into Tattvas — subtle principles behind all forms of existence.
Ancient learning centres like Nalanda University trained advanced students in this system of classification. Until just a few generations ago, educated Indians were still familiar with these Tattva tables and their metaphysical logic.
Within this system, Kalaa is a key element. It represents the degree of expressed consciousness in a being. In other words, Kalaa is what distinguishes the levels of awareness across different life forms.
According to this tradition:
- Humans are endowed with eight Kalaas
- Animals express seven Kalaas
- Plants express six Kalaas
The higher the Kalaa, the greater the refinement of awareness. (This summary is based on SriSri’s talk Feb 25,2014.)
Energy, Time, and Space in the Primordial Universe
Modern cosmology holds that energy is the primordial cause of the universe. Immediately after the Big Bang, the universe existed as pure energy. As expansion continued, this energy condensed into subatomic particles, which later combined to form atoms, stars, matter, and eventually complex life.
Before this event, time and space—as we understand them—did not exist. Time began with the Big Bang; space began as expansion. This sharply resonates with classical Tattva-shastra, where Kāla (Time) and Ākāśa (Space/Ether) are treated as fundamental building blocks of manifestation.
If Time and Kalaa (its measurable phases) arise only within space, then Space itself must be a more fundamental principle. Agastya’s Tamil text Agasthiyar Tattuvam 300 recognizes exactly this—presenting different Tattva classification tables and showing how ancient Indian traditions mapped the layers of creation long before modern physics arrived at similar conclusions.
Where Confusion Arises — The Bridge Between Abstraction and Devotion
The difficulty many modern readers face is that the word “Tattva” appears in two very different domains:
| Domain | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Philosophical / Metaphysical | A principle of existence—a fundamental constituent of reality |
| Devotional / Puranic | A symbolic or mythic form used for worship |
Philosophically, Shiva is not a deity with a body, but the formless cosmic consciousness—a Tattva. Devotional literature accepts this philosophical basis, yet adds an accessible visual bridge for worship: Shiva’s form.
Thus:
- In philosophy, Shiva = Pure Consciousness
- In devotion, Shiva’s form = a symbolic metaphor for layered Tattvas
For example:
The crescent moon on Shiva’s head symbolizes Chandra Kalaa, the unit of subtle cyclical time.
Why Shiva Ratri Is on the 14th Waning Moon
The fourteenth lunar phase (Chaturdashi) of the waning moon, when the moon is about to dissolve into invisibility, is chosen as Shiva Ratri. The symbolism is profound:
“Just as the moon dissolves into the night sky,
the mind can dissolve back into pure awareness —
into that which cannot be seen but is the source of all seeing.”
This is philosophy expressed through ritual—metaphysics translated into human experience.
Agastya’s Scale of Consciousness — The 16 Kalaas
In Agasthiyar Tattuvam 300, all beings are graded on a 16-Kalaa (unit of consciousness) spectrum:
| Beings | Kalaa Range | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Nature (pure elements) | 1 – 5 | Pre-individual, unconditioned intelligence |
| Birds & Animals | 6 – 7 | Instinctual awareness |
| Most Humans | 8 – 12 | Conscious choice, but limited perception |
| Higher Beings (non-physical) | 13 – 16 | Archetypal intelligences embedded in the collective psyche |
According to Siddha tradition, spiritual evolution is the expansion of Kalaa — the refinement of awareness toward subtler states of existence.
In One Line
Modern cosmology begins with energy; ancient Tattva-shastra begins with consciousness.
Both agree that Time and Space arise after the primal cause — not before.
Human beings occupy 8-12 Kalaas. Higher beings (without a physical body) who are representations of functions in the collective psyche occupy 13-16 Kalaas. Birds and Animals occupy 6-7 Kalaas. The first five Kalaas are aspects of nature, in its pristine form.
