How does the interaction surrounding the 'story of the old woman' reveal Sai Baba's unique teaching methods and his ultimate message about the Self?

This episode powerfully illustrates Sai Baba's distinctive teaching style, where he uses seemingly ordinary events as pretexts for profound spiritual guidance. According to Chapter 19, the narrator perceived the story as a vehicle for Baba's grace. Baba confirmed this by stating, 'Our ways are unique,' and immediately pivoted from the narrative to a direct teaching. He connected the story's impact to the path of self-realization, explaining that true knowledge of the Soul requires meditation (Dhyana). He defined this meditation as the desire-free practice of focusing on the one Self that resides in all beings. Ultimately, Baba revealed his own form to be synonymous with 'pure knowledge,' demonstrating how an external event can lead to internal realization.