Given that Baba supposedly had supernatural powers at his command, what was the deeper philosophy behind his practice of begging for Dakshina?

The text explores this very question, noting in Chapter 14 that with supernatural powers and treasures at his command, there was no material reason for him to be a "beggar for money." The philosophical justification lies in the spiritual benefit for the devotee. The practice was a means to cultivate virtues, chief among them being humility. By making no distinction between rich and poor and compelling the wealthy to beg from the impoverished, Baba dismantled pride and attachment to wealth. He stated, "if he gives Me one quality, I give him a hundred qualities in return," framing the exchange as a spiritual one where a devotee's offering of detachment is met with a hundredfold spiritual reward.