In plain words
When people give, one may give land, give cattle, give clothes, give gold, give food, give learning; but Emperor Bali gave his very self. For what did these three do it? The three did it not for selfishness or self-interest. For God alone they did it. Bharata went beyond his mother's command for God alone. For Rāmacandra alone. Prahlāda went beyond his father's command for God alone. Not for himself. He wanted God. From ancient times, in Bhārata, such embodiments of sacrifice and embodiments of Dharma have set an example in so many ways.
Between charity and sacrifice there is a great difference. But people today think of the two, charity and sacrifice, as the same. This is a great mistake. Out of what one has, one may give something, a little, in charity to others. One may give in charity out of what one has. One may keep some for oneself and hand some on to others. There is some selfishness and self-interest in this. That is not what sacrifice means. To give to others whatever one likes, whatever is dear to one, is sacrifice. Above all else, what does man desire most? He desires his own life. There is nothing greater than one's own life. But sacrifice means offering even one's life. Sacrifice is to give to others what one likes. Sacrifice is to give to others the things that are dear to one. So there is a great difference between sacrifice and charity. People say, “I have made a sacrifice, sir; I have given such-and-such land to others.” But that is no sacrifice. It is done for name and fame. Sacrifice is full of amṛta. It knows no change of any kind. There is nothing that surpasses it.
You are a child of amṛta. Your body is immortal. It is not a thing that wastes away. It is merely a thing that drops off, that collapses, that burns away. But the Ātma does not burn. It does not collapse. It does not change. It does not slip away. It is ever one and the same. That Ātma-svarūpa, the eternal Satya, is itself this form of amṛta. So sacrifice is full of amṛta. Such embodiments of sacrifice have been coming in Bhārata from ancient times down to the present day. In this land of Bhārata Avatāras have come down, and many great souls have been born, giving many teachings. Not Emperor Bali alone. Emperor Śibi and Dadhīci too made great sacrifices. A hawk came chasing a dove to Emperor Śibi.