After learning the truth, how did Dev justify his failure to recognize Sai Baba as the Sanyasi?

Upon receiving Jog's letter explaining the truth, Dev felt immense regret but also analyzed why he had been so deluded. His reasoning, described in Chapter 40, centered on the timing and context of the Sanyasi's first appearance. The Sanyasi had initially visited to collect funds for cow protection *before* Dev had even extended the Udyapan invitation to Baba in Shirdi. Because this first meeting was for a different purpose, when the same person later returned asking for a meal, Dev did not connect it to Baba's promise. He lamented that he forgot the specific detail Baba had mentioned: "When I come for the meal, two others will come with me." This oversight, combined with the Sanyasi's prior visit for fundraising, created the veil of Maya that prevented his recognition.