It seems odd that Deo could read other books but not the Dnyaneshwari. What does the text say about this contrast?

The text in Chapter 41 highlights this very contrast to emphasize the unique nature of his struggle. It explicitly states that when other books were taken in hand, they were read regularly, and this was true even during a three-month leave he took. However, despite his strong intent for the Dnyaneshwari, the rule of daily reading would not hold. When he tried, doubts would arise, and the reading felt superficial. This suggests the obstacle was not a lack of time or discipline in general, but something specific to his spiritual connection with that particular text, a problem he ultimately believed only Sai Baba could solve.