Grant me the shelter of the one who is the shelter of devotion

namo rādhikāyai tvadīya-priyāyai

I bow to Rādhā, your dearest bride,
Whose love flows deep, a boundless tide.
Through her your mercy brightly streams,
Fulfilling all the devotees’ dreams.

(Damodarashtakam — Verse 8, Line 3)

My dear Lord, your most intimate devotee, Radharani, is not only the greatest of all devotees but also the very embodiment of devotion and the source from whom all devotion flows. Whatever love anyone offers to you ultimately springs from her heart of infinite grace.

O supreme Lord, I now understand that to know you and to love you, I need her mercy. It is through her that I can receive devotion; through her that I can rise above worldly infatuation; and through her that I can reach you, who are accessible only through devotion. She is the divine mediatrix between the devotionless soul and you, the Lord revealed only through devotion.

O inconceivable Lord, please help me to realize that you alone are the supreme reality. Just as for Radharani there is no reality apart from you, may I too see you alone as the sole truth of my life. Whatever circumstances life may bring, may I remember that beyond the play of your external energy, your internal energy—Radharani—is always acting, offering shelter, mercy, and the strength to serve you ever more deeply.