How did Sai Baba guide his devotee Kashiram through a period of financial hardship, and what was the purpose of this trial?

Kashiram, a devoted follower of Sai Baba, developed pride in his ability to give Dakshina, which is an obstacle to spiritual progress. As Chapter 0 explains, it is God's resolve to remove such obstacles. To address this, Maharaj orchestrated a situation where Kashiram began to face financial difficulties. Concurrently, Baba started a 'barrage of demanding Dakshina from him,' forcing Kashiram to borrow money until even the local grocer refused him credit. The entire leela was designed to remove Kashiram's pride and make him realize he did not have the inherent power to give. Once this lesson was learned and his ego was humbled, Chapter 0 states that his financial condition began to improve, and he became prosperous once again.