There is a Vedic mantra that refers to the Supreme One as vAjI. This means the One who possesses food. Although the Vedic mantra extols the Supreme One through this word, it may specifically be taken as referring to Lord Jagannatha of Puri, said V.S. Karunakarachariar, in a discourse. The prasAda offered in Puri is known as mahAprasAda. The Skanda Purana talks about this mahAprasAda. In other temples, He merely looks at the prasAda, which is then distributed among devotees. But Skanda Purana says that in Puri, the prasAda is tasted by the Lord and then given to devotees. The kitchen in Puri is busy throughout the day, with rice being steamed in mud vessels. The kitchen has a separate well. There is a bhOga maNDapa, for the various food offerings to be spread before the Lord. Every festival is marked by special food offerings. In Orissa, people arrange for prasAda to be made in the temple, and this is what they use in their homes during festivals, instead of preparing these things at home, as people usually do in other places. The cooked rice, after it has been offered to the Lord, is spread out to dry, and this is taken by those who live outside Puri. The mahAprasAda is said to destroy diseases; it ensures that a family is blessed with children; it gets rid of poverty, confers education, long life, and wealth; it is full of auspiciousness. With the sthala purana itself praising the qualities of the mahAprasAda, the Vedic reference of vAjI means Jagannatha of Puri. The word sahamAnah in the mantra can be interpreted as the One who is patient with His devotees. This too can be taken as a reference to His archa avatara as Jagannatha. When Jagannatha approaches His chariot, devotees grab His flowers. But He is patient and enjoys this, because it shows their love for Him.