According to the provided text, did Sai Baba truly die, and what is the nature of death for a saint like him?

Chapter 43 explains that for a being like Sai Samarth, the concept of death as we know it is an illusion. He is described as the complete Supreme Brahman, for whom birth and death have no meaning. The text posits that death for saints is merely a defect of vision for the observer, much like an eclipse. For Baba, who could die at will, his departure was a conscious act where he 'burned the body in the fire of Yoga' and 'merged himself into the unmanifest.' He did not perish but instead attained his previous unmanifest state, remaining forever in the hearts of his devotees, proving that death is like dust before him.