From start to finish, what was Sai Baba's ritual involving the sacred fire, and what was the ultimate lesson he imparted through the Udi?

The complete ritual, as described in Chapter 33, began with Sai Baba acquiring firewood bundles, which he would then offer into the sacred Dhuni he kept perpetually burning in the Masjid. From the great quantity of ash that remained, he would collect the Udi. He then distributed this Udi to all devotees as a form of blessing and, significantly, as a sign of permission to depart from Shirdi. The ultimate lesson imparted through this daily ritual was a profound teaching on impermanence. The Udi served as a constant, physical reminder that the entire visible universe is transient and will turn to ash, just as our own bodies will, encouraging detachment and focus on the eternal.