How is Lord Ganesha depicted in Chapter 1, and what is the connection made between him and Sai Baba?

In Chapter 1, Lord Ganesha is depicted as the remover of obstacles and the lord of fourteen types of knowledge. He is described with various attributes: the curved-trunk Heramba, the auspicious-looking elephant-faced one, and Lambodar (large-bellied) because the fourteen worlds reside in his belly. He holds a bright axe to destroy the obstacles of his devotees. The text makes a profound connection by stating that Sai himself is Ganesha Ganapati. As Chapter 1 clarifies, it is Sai who, like Ganesha, takes the axe in hand to destroy obstacles and bring forth his own divine knowledge for the benefit of his followers.