How was Balabuva Satarkar compensated for his performance in Shirdi, and how did it compare to his regular earnings?

The compensation Balabuva Satarkar received in Shirdi was exceptionally generous, especially given the initial uncertainty. As recounted in Chapter 6, Bhausahab Dixit had warned him that any fee was entirely at Sai Baba's discretion. After Balabuva successfully performed the Ram Navami festival, Baba ordered that he be given an honorarium of more than one hundred and fifty rupees. The text highlights that this single payment was equivalent to five years' worth of the income he would have received from the Kavthe festival, which brought Balabuva immense joy and made him deeply grateful to Baba.