Based on the invocations in Chapter 1, what is the theological significance of identifying Sai Baba with deities like Ganesha and Saraswati?

The theological significance of identifying Sai Baba with various deities in Chapter 1 is to establish his supreme, all-encompassing divine nature from the outset. By proclaiming that "This Sai himself is Ganesha Ganapati" and "Sai himself is Goddess Saraswati," the author presents Sai not merely as a guru but as the very embodiment of the divine powers being invoked. According to Chapter 1, this means Sai is the ultimate remover of obstacles and the divine source of his own life story. This identification elevates Sai to the status of the ultimate reality, who is simultaneously Ganadhish (Lord of Ganas), Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, positioning him as the one Sadguru who acts as the boat to carry devotees across the ocean of worldly existence.