રાધા ને કૃષ્ણ બન્ને ચઢ્યાં વરઘોડે (રાગ – ધોળ)

નાદબ્રહ્મ પદ - ૭૬૫, રાગ - ધોળ
Nādbrahma pada 765, rāga - dhol

Mahila Mandal - Syadla (Recorded in 2011)

રાધા ને કૃષ્ણ બન્ને ચઢ્યાં વરઘોડે, માંડવડો વધાવ્યો છે કોડે;
કેડે બેસી બન્ને જાય છે જોડે, તો જુગલ સ્વરૂપે સધાર્યા રે ... ટેક
radhā ne krushna banne chadhya var-ghode, maňdavdo vadhāvyo chhe kode
kede besi banne jāy chhe jode, to jugal svarupe sadhāryā re … repeat

નંદ જશોદાનાં પગલાં પનોતાં, ગાતાં ને વાતાં પાદરે પહોંચ્યા;
વળાવી આવ્યા સર્વે સમોતાં, તો જુગલ સ્વરૂપે સધાર્યા રે ... ૧
naňda jashodā-na pagalā panotā, gātā ne vātā pādare pahoňchyā
valāvi āvya sarve samotā, to jugal svarupe sadhāryā re … 1

વેવાઈ ભેટ્યા છે આનંદ આણી, ભેટતાં ભેટતાં બાંધ્યા છે તાણી;
મશ્કરીમાં હસ્યાં સૌ પ્રાણી, તો જુગલ સ્વરૂપે સધાર્યા રે ... ૨
vevā-ii bhetyā chhe ānaňd āni, bhetatā bhetatā bāňdhyā chhe tāni
mash-kari-māň hasyā sa-u prāni, to jugal svarupe sadhāryā re … 2

આપ્યું છે દાન ને લીધું છે દામ, છોડાવ્યાં નંદરાય વૃષભાન;
સંગાતે મળીને ચાલી છે જાન, તો જુગલ સ્વરૂપે સધાર્યા રે ... ૩
āpyu chhe dān ne lidhu chhe dām, chhodāvyā naňda-rāy vrush-bhān
saňgāte mali-ne chāle chhe jān, to jugal svarupe sadhāryā re … 3

કેડે બેઠા તેનું દામ જ આપ્યું, જન્મો જનમનું દારિદ્રય કાપ્યું;
આનંદે ઉલટીને સર્વેને આપ્યું, તો જુગલ સ્વરૂપે સધાર્યા રે ... ૪
kede bethā tenu dām ja āpyu, janmo janam-nu dāridray kāpyu
ānaňde ulati-ne sarve-ne āpyu, to jugal svarupe sadhāryā re … 4

કેડેથી વરવધૂ બેઠાં રથમાંહી, તેત્રીશ કરોડ સ્તુતિ કરે ત્યાંહી;
સાસરિયામાં લાગજો સહુને પાય, તો જુગલ સ્વરૂપે સધાર્યા રે ... ૫
kede-thi var-vadhu betha rath-maň-hi, tetrish karod stuti kare tyāň-hi
sāsariyā-māň lāgajo sahu-ne pāy, to jugal svarupe sadhāryā re … 5

પાછળથી સૈયર સહુ વળાવીને વળ્યાં, જલ જમુનાના ભરીને લાવ્યાં;
ક્યારે દેખીશું બેન હવે મન ભાવ્યાં, તો જુગલ સ્વરૂપે સધાર્યા રે ... ૬
pāchhal-thi saiyar sahu valāvi-ne valyā, jal jamunā-na bhari-ne lāvyā
kyāre dekhi-shuň ben have man bhavyā, to jugal svarupe sadhāryā re … 6

પાછી ફરી જૂઓ બાઈ બ્હેની, સગાં કુટુંબ કહે દર્શન દેની;
રાધાજી બોલ્યા અંતે હું એની, તો જુગલ સ્વરૂપે સધાર્યા રે ... ૭
pāchhi fari ju-o bā-ii baheni, sagā kutumb kahe darshan deni
rādhāji bolyā aňte hu eni, to jugal svarupe sadhāryā re … 7

હાંકો રથ રહ્યાં સહુ થોભી, રાધા કૃષ્ણ પર રહ્યાં છે લોભી;
ગોકુલ ગામ રહ્યું સર્વે શોભી, તો જુગલ સ્વરૂપે સધાર્યા રે ... ૮
haňko rath rahya sahu thobhi, radhā krushna par rahya chhe lobhi
gokul gām rahyu sarve shobhi, to jugal svarupe sadhāryā re … 8

કુંવર પરણાવીને નંદ ઘેર આવ્યાં, સુંદર નાર પદ્મણિ લાવ્યાં;
સોનાને ફૂલડે સર્વે વધાવ્યાં, જુગલ સ્વરૂપે સધાર્યા રે ... ૯
kuňvar paranāvi-ne naňda gher āvya, suňdar nār padmani lāvyā
sonā-ne fulade sarve vadhāvya, to jugal svarupe sadhāryā re … 9

શશિ કોટિ ઉપમા રે જેને, નંદજીનો લાલો પરણ્યો છે તેને;
નિરખીને વલ્લભ થયો છે આનંદ, તો જુગલ સ્વરૂપે સધાર્યા રે ... ૧૦
shashi koti upamā re jene, naňda-ji-no lālo paranyo chhe tene
nirakhi-ne vallabh thayo che ānaňd,  to jugal svarupe sadhāryā re … 10

English translation (by AI):
This bhajan celebrates the joyful wedding of Radha and Krishna, using their marriage procession to symbolize the ultimate union of the human soul with the Divine.

0. Radha and Krishna have both mounted the wedding chariot,
The wedding canopy is being greeted and celebrated with deep love and longing;
Seated closely together side by side, they journey on,
Thus, the divine couple departs in their beautiful united form.

1. The auspicious footsteps of Nanda and Yashoda lead the way,
Singing and playing music, the procession has reached the village outskirts;
Everyone gathered has lovingly bid them farewell,
Thus, the divine couple departs in their beautiful united form.

2. The matching parents of the bride and groom embrace with immense joy,
Embracing so tightly, they hold each other fast;
At their playful teasing, every soul bursts into laughter,
Thus, the divine couple departs in their beautiful united form.

3. Charity and gifts have been given, and the wedding dues have been received,
King Nanda and King Vrishabhanu are now free from their ritual duties;
Together as one, the wedding procession journeys onward,
Thus, the divine couple departs in their beautiful united form.

4. The traditional offering for sitting side-by-side has been paid,
Freeing them from the poverty of countless lifetimes;
Overflowing with pure bliss, they showered gifts upon everyone,
Thus, the divine couple departs in their beautiful united form.

5. From side-by-side, the bride and groom have now stepped into the chariot,
Where thirty-three crore deities gather to sing their praises;
May you bow and touch the feet of everyone in your new home,
Thus, the divine couple departs in their beautiful united form.

6. Walking behind, all her childhood friends have turned back after bidding farewell,
Bringing back pots filled with the sacred waters of the Yamuna River;
They cry, "O dear sister, when will we see your beloved face again?"
Thus, the divine couple departs in their beautiful united form.

7. "Turn back and look at us once more, dear sister,"
Cry the relatives and family, pleading, "Grant us your vision one last time!"
Radha finally spoke, "In the end, I belong entirely to Him,"
Thus, the divine couple departs in their beautiful united form.

8. "Drive the chariot forward!" they call out, as everyone stands perfectly still,
Completely captivated and enchanted by the beauty of Radha and Krishna;
The entire village of Gokul shines with divine splendor,
Thus, the divine couple departs in their beautiful united form.

9. Having wedded their prince, King Nanda’s family returns home,
Bringing with them the bride, as beautiful and exquisite as a lotus;
Everyone welcomed them by showering golden flowers,
Thus, the divine couple departs in their beautiful united form.

10. The one whose beauty surpasses that of ten million moons,
It is she whom the beloved son of Nanda has wedded;
Beholding this divine sight, Vallabh is filled with pure ecstasy,
Thus, the divine couple departs in their beautiful united form.

…..
The core meaning of this entire bhajan is a beautiful blend of celebration and deep spiritual allegory. While it reads on the surface as a joyful wedding song (a Lagna Geet) celebrating the marriage of Radha and Krishna, it holds a profound philosophical message about the soul's ultimate union with the Divine.

Here is the breakdown of its core meaning:

1. The Allegory of Divine Union (Atma and Paramatma)

In the Bhakti tradition, Radha represents the individual human soul (Atma), and Krishna represents the Supreme Universal Soul (Paramatma). The wedding procession (Varghoda) and the canopy (Mandap) symbolize the sacred journey of life. The refrain emphasizing their "united form" (Jugal Swaroup) reminds us that the ultimate goal of existence is for the human soul to merge completely and beautifully with God.

2. Destruction of Spiritual Poverty

Verse 4 contains a pivotal spiritual metaphor: the ritual payment made for sitting side-by-side destroys "the poverty of countless lifetimes." In spiritual terms, this means that when a devotee finally achieves closeness with God, all spiritual ignorance, karmic debts, and the inner poverty of materialistic desires are instantly wiped away, replaced by infinite divine bliss (Aanand).

3. Ultimate Surrender

In Verse 7, when the family begs Radha to look back one last time, she replies, "In the end, I belong entirely to Him." This represents total surrender (Sharanagati). It teaches that to attain true liberation, the soul must break its worldly attachments to "family and relatives" and firmly commit itself to the Divine path without looking back.

4. Cosmic Joy and Celebration

The bhajan illustrates that the union of God and the devotee is not a somber event, but a grand festival. From the village elders (Nanda and Yashoda) and the common folk of Gokul to the entire pantheon of 33 crore deities in the heavens, the whole universe celebrates when a soul unites with God.

Summary:
Ultimately, the bhajan is an ecstatic celebration of complete spiritual liberation. The poet, Vallabh, concludes by stating that simply beholding or meditating upon this divine, inseparable union brings absolute, unchanging joy to the human heart.