How did Dev justify his failure to recognize Sai Baba in the form of the Sanyasi?

After learning the truth from Jog's letter, Dev felt immense shame but also tried to understand why he had been so deluded. As detailed in Chapter 40, Dev rationalized his mistake by recalling the sequence of events. The Sanyasi had first appeared to him to collect funds for cow protection *before* Dev had even extended the Udyapan invitation to Sai Baba in Shirdi. Because this initial meeting was for a different purpose, when the same Sanyasi later appeared asking for a meal on the day of the feast, Dev's mind did not make the connection. He lamented that if the Sanyasi had appeared for the first time after the invitation, he might not have been so confused.