How does letting go of ego help on the spiritual path, according to the story of Pundalikrao?

The story of Pundalikrao illustrates a profound spiritual lesson about the ego. After receiving advice from Sai Baba regarding a lost coconut, Pundalikrao's distressed mind found rest. This incident served as a pretext for a deeper teaching: clearing the mind of pride and guilt. As explained in Chapter 51, the essence of this story is that the more non-egoistic one becomes, the more authority they gain on the spiritual path. This state of being without ego is what allows a person to easily cross the ocean of existence and is a key teaching demonstrated through this narrative.