Did Sai Baba truly die? What does the source say about his departure from the physical body?

The idea that Sai Baba died is presented as a misunderstanding or a 'defect of vision,' similar to mistakenly believing the sun is eclipsed. Chapter 43 clarifies that his departure was not a death in the conventional sense but a voluntary act of a Yogi. Sai Samarth could die at will and chose to merge himself into the unmanifest by burning his body in the fire of Yoga. He did this for the sake of his devotees' salvation, transitioning from a manifest form to his previous unmanifest state. The text emphasizes that he remains in the hearts of his devotees, and his conscious essence, which was firmly imprinted in their hearts, could not have perished.