Saying this, he offered prayers to the maha-prasadam, took a little portion, and ate it

Expressions researched:
"Saying this, he offered prayers to the mahā-prasādam, took a little portion, and ate it"

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta

CC Antya-lila

Saying this, he offered prayers to the mahā-prasādam, took a little portion, and ate it.

CC Antya 11.20, Translation and Purport

Saying this, he offered prayers to the mahā-prasādam, took a little portion, and ate it.

Mahā-prasādam is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, instead of eating mahā-prasādam, one should honor it. It is said here, karilā vandana, “he offered prayers.” When taking mahā-prasādam, one should not consider the food ordinary preparations. Prasāda means favor. One should consider mahā-prasādam a favor of Kṛṣṇa. As stated by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, kṛṣṇa baḍa dayāmaya karibāre jihvā jaya svaprasāda-anna dilā bhāi. Kṛṣṇa is very kind. In this material world we are all very much attached to tasting various types of food. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa eats many nice varieties of food and offers the food back to the devotees, so that not only are one’s demands for various tastes satisfied, but by eating prasādam one makes advancement in spiritual life. Therefore, we should never consider ordinary food on an equal level with mahā-prasādam.