From the perspective of the author, what preparations and beliefs are expressed in the opening chapter of the Sai Satcharitra?

The author of the Sai Satcharitra begins the work with a deeply devotional and traditional approach, as detailed in Chapter 1. The primary preparation is the performance of 'Mangalacharan,' or auspicious invocations, to ensure the task's completion without any hindrances. The author expresses a firm belief in the power of bowing to deities like Lord Ganesha, Goddess Saraswati, and the holy trinity. This humility is clear when the author asks Saraswati to be made an instrument for narrating Sai's life. Crucially, Chapter 1 reveals the author's core belief that Sai Baba is the non-dual embodiment of all these deities, who will Himself destroy obstacles and bring forth the knowledge for the book.