Baba mentions serving his Guru for 12 years without receiving a mantra. What was this experience like for him?

Chapter 19 provides a detailed account of Sai Baba's twelve years of service to his Guru. Although he strongly desired a secret mantra, he never received one. Despite this, he describes the experience as one of immense love and joy, stating his Guru was an "ocean of mercy" and an "idol of devotion." Baba recounts that simply gazing upon his Guru's face would put him into a state of meditation, where he felt neither hunger nor thirst. His only goal was the constant contemplation of his Guru. He learned that the Guru's grace was not in a whispered mantra but in his protective and loving gaze, which always shielded him from trouble. This profound experience shaped his own method of teaching.