Did Sai Baba give out secret mantras or 'upadesh'? What was his view on it?

In a conversation recorded in Chapter 19, Sai Baba addresses the topic of giving a secret mantra or 'upadesh.' He explains to a woman devotee that he himself never received a verbal "ear-mantra" from his own Guru, despite serving him for twelve years. Instead, his Guru protected and nurtured him with his loving gaze, similar to how a mother tortoise on one riverbank cares for her young on the other. Because his own master did not use this method, Baba states, "how can I blow one into yours?" He advises the woman to simply "pay attention" to him, assuring her that by doing so, spiritual wealth would come into her hands without a specific verbal instruction.