All the Vedic mantras say we must sacrifice ourselves in the plane of dedication. In the Vedic mantra, svāhā means, “First dedicate yourself. See to your own self first.” Kṛṣṇa says in Bhagavad-gītā (6.5), “Ātmaiva hy ātmano bandhur ātmaiva ripur ātmanaḥ: the mind is the conditioned soul’s best friend or his worst enemy.” We must see to our own self first—charity begins at home.

Since we live in this illusory environment, we cannot see Kṛṣṇa, His devotees, His glories, His Dhām, His Pastimes, or His Name and fame. We cannot see anything of Kṛṣṇa in this environment because our eyes are covered by illusion. First, it is necessary to clean our mirror, and then we can see our figure in the mirror.

Swāmī B.R Śrīdhar