The author claims Baba used him as a 'pretext' to get His work done. Doesn't this diminish the author's own effort and portray him as a mere puppet with no agency?

In Chapter 3, the author humbly states, "Keeping me in front as a pretext, He Himself did this work." Rather than diminishing his own agency, this statement serves to glorify Sai Baba's grace and inspiration as the true source of the writing. The author compares Sai's love to a motherly cow that naturally gives milk for its calf, suggesting the work flows out of Baba's own compassionate nature. He sees himself as a 'Chataka bird' whose small thirst is being quenched by the 'cloud of joy' that is Sai. This framing is an expression of devotion and humility, highlighting that the divine work happens through the devotee, but the ultimate doer is the Guru Himself.