How did Sai Baba's behavior challenge the social norms of caste and ritual purity?

Sai Baba fundamentally challenged the rigid social hierarchies of his time, as detailed in Chapter 7. He was completely indifferent to caste distinctions, whether someone was a Shudra or an outcaste. This is powerfully illustrated by the fact that the most elite Brahmins and Agnihotris, who were keepers of sacred fire and meticulous about purity, would abandon their pride and prostrate before him. The text also notes that he had no ego regarding his body and felt no disgust even if a dog were to put its mouth in the food, demonstrating a profound detachment from conventional ideas of ritual purity.