Although Śrī Gopāla ate everything offered, still, by the touch of His transcendental hand, everything remained as before. PURPORT
The atheists cannot understand how the Supreme Personality of Godhead, appearing in the form of the Deity, can eat all the food offered by His devotees. In the Bhagavad-gītā (9.26 )Krsna says: patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktyā prayacchati tad aham bhakty-upahrtam aśnāmi prayatātmanah “If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, I will accept it.” The Lord is pūrna, complete, and therefore He eats everything offered by His devotees. However, by the touch of His transcendental hand, all the food remains exactly as before. It is the quality that is changed. Before the food was offered, it was something else, but after it is offered the food acquires a transcendental quality. Because the Lord is pūrna, He remains the same even after eating. Pūrnasya pūrnam ādāya pūrnam evāvaśisyate. The food offered to Krsna is qualitatively as good as Krsna; just as Krsna is avyaya, indestructible, the food eaten by Krsna, being identical with Him, remains as before.
Apart from this, Krsna can eat the food with any one of His transcendental senses. He can eat by seeing the food or by touching it. Nor should one think that it is necessary for Krsna to eat. He does not become hungry like an ordinary human being; nonetheless, He presents Himself as being hungry, and as such, He can eat everything and anything, regardless of quantity. The philosophy underlying Krsna’s eating is understandable by our transcendental senses. When our senses are purified by constantly being engaged in the devotional service of the Lord, we can understand Krsna’s activities, names, forms, qualities, pastimes and entourage.
atah śrī-krsna-nāmādi
na bhaved grāhyam indriyaih
sevonmukhe hi jihvādau
svayam eva sphuraty adah
“No one can understand Krsna by the blunt material senses. But He reveals Himself to the devotees, being pleased with them for their transcendental loving service unto Him.” (Bhakti-rasāmrta-sindhu 1.2.234) The devotees understand Krsna through revelation. It is not possible for a mundane scholar to understand Krsna and His pastimes through research work on the nondevotional platform.
Caitanya Caritamrta -Madhya Leela, Chapter 4, text 77
Purport by A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Maharaj
