Can you tell me about the woman named Mrs. Gokhale who wanted to fast in Shirdi? What does her story teach us?

The story of Mrs. Gokhale serves as a powerful illustration of Sai Baba's teachings on fasting. As narrated in Chapter 32, Mrs. Gokhale arrived in Shirdi with a firm resolve to fast for three days at Baba's feet. This plan was the opposite of Baba's own practice. Being the 'inner witness,' Baba was already aware of her intention before she even arrived. He had predicted to Dada Kelkar that he would not let his 'children remain hungry.' When Mrs. Gokhale came for darshan, Baba immediately addressed her unspoken resolve, demonstrating both his omniscience and his core teaching that one should eat first to find peace for the soul. Her story teaches that finding God on an empty stomach is an imagined notion and that such austerities were not the path favored by Sai.