Based on the text, how does the author's invocation and preface in Chapter 36 function to prepare the reader for the stories that follow?

The invocation and preface in Chapter 36 serve to establish a specific spiritual context for the reader. By starting with salutations to various deities and his Guru, the author frames the act of storytelling as a sacred one. He then immediately addresses the promise from the previous chapter and describes the stories not as mere entertainment, but as the "water of self-bliss" that can remove worldly misery. As detailed in Chapter 36, he dismisses his own ego, attributing the narration to Sai Baba himself. This prepares the reader to receive the stories not as a historical account from a human author, but as a direct expression of Sai's grace intended for the devotee's spiritual welfare.