The boys return by the end of the day, covered with dust spread by the cows. After bathing, they dress in comfortable evening attire, and hungrily demand their dinner. “My dear Boy please be patient,” answers Mother Yashoda as she brings the evening meal. This is the
Aulai Sandarshan.
Au-Lai literally means “I am about to bring”.
“O sakhi, wearing only a fine loincloth, Shri Radharaman Lal’s aulai darshan is incomparable. Every part of His body is soaked with fragrant oil, and His headdress leans to one side. Gunmanjari says, ‘The sharp ends of Shriji’s mischievous eyes have pierced my heart.’ “
When Shriji has relished His meal, He falls in with His friends, chatting and enjoying the melodious music being played for Him. Eventually He feels sleepy, so before He retires, Lalita brings warm milk and Roop Manjari brings fragrant betel leaf.
“Amidst sweet conversation with His Beloved, Shriji joyfully takes a golden cup of nectarean milk from the lotus hand of Lalita. He gently offers it to Shri Priyaji first and makes Her take a sip, before He fills His belly. Keep the wish-fulfilling gem ( Chintamani) of the Lovers in your heart, o sakhi, for nothing else is beautiful. The rasiks offer their lives ( balihaari) to the eternal beauty of the Lovers’ combined Form, Shri Radharamanji.”
“Roop Manjari brings exquisite paan. The betel leaves are brushed with slaked lime ( chuna), filled with catechu ( kathha), coconut ( giri), cardamom (elaichi), pearl (mukta), and areca nut (supari), flavoured with essence of screwpine flower ( kewra), rolled into a triangular wrap and pinned together with a clove ( laung). As Gunmanjari lovingly feeds Them the paan, she secretly gives a generous serving to Shri Priyaji, because Shriji Beloved is dearest to her heart.”