If Sai Baba begged for alms for his own sustenance, what was the real purpose behind him asking devotees for Dakshina?

As detailed in Chapter 14, Sai Baba's request for Dakshina was entirely for the spiritual welfare of his devotees, not for his own material needs. The text explicitly states that he begged for alms to feed his stomach, so there was no selfishness in his asking for Dakshina. The supreme goal was to purify the devotees' hearts through the act of giving. The supremely merciful Sai used Dakshina as a tool to teach renunciation and to help his followers complete their worship, as the scriptures indicate that giving is a necessary component of the process. His life was not dependent on it; rather, it was a method for the devotees' benefit.