From the author's perspective, what is the significance of Shirdi and Sai Baba's grace?

The author expresses immense personal gratitude, attributing his fortune of being taken under Sai's wing not to his own merits but to Sai's nature as a "lover of the humble." As detailed in Chapter 4, the author views Shirdi as the ultimate pilgrimage site, declaring, "Shirdi is our Pandharpur, Shirdi is Jagannath and Dwarka." This elevates the town to the highest spiritual standing. The author poetically blesses the very grass and stones of Shirdi for the fortune of receiving Baba's foot-dust. For him, association with Sai in Shirdi is the ultimate spiritual path, and the sight of the Samadhi represents the "true fulfillment of being born."