Chardi Kala means keep your morale (spirits) high no matter what the situation is. Have faith and keep doing good and stay positive , leave rest to God. This positive thinking will give you calm , peaceful and positive mind that doesn’t get bothered with obstacles of life , you will be in charhdi kala (high spirits ) always.
Sikhs are always happy because of the “Charhdi Kala” given to them by Guru Gobind Singh, the Tenth Sikh Guru.
This concept is commonly translated as “high morale,” but it is much more than that. According to Encylopedia of Sikhism,
“It stands for a perennially blossoming, unwilting spirit, a perpetual state of certitude resting on unwavering belief in Divine justice.”
Word “Kala” of Sanskrit origin has several shades of meaning, but the dominant among which is “energy.” Chardhi in Punjabi means rising, ascending, soaring. So “Charhdi Kala” means an intensely “engergized”, ever-ascending state of the spirit of an individual or a group.
If someone asks a Sikh (Ki haal hai) (How are you?), his answer would be “In “Charhdi Kala!” meaning I am in ascending spirits even when he might be in great pain or sorrow!
Sikh meditate and pray everyday. The prayer is concluded with the following liturgy:
Nanak Naam Charhdi Kala tere bhane sarbat da bhala.
In the name of Guru Nanak, let there by ascending spirit and welfare of all.
So a Sikh prays not only for himself or his family, but also for all living beings in the universe. When you have this kind of spirit and operate at that level, this brings happiness – Charhdi Kala just happens!
A Sikh prayer cannot be complete without praying for the welfare of all. So this spirit has a lot to do with the power of prayer.
It is a mental stage that keeps a person strong during the most difficult moment in life – even when one is facing a life and death situation. The spirit of defiance of all hardships is very much part of it. Sikhs are tenacious people who do not lose faith! Even when they lose, they do not know if they have lost because they never accept defeat!
This spirit of “Charhdi Kala” is unique to the Sikhs.