The author interrupts the main story to talk about his own name, Hemadpant. Didn't Baba just warn against 'useless effort'? Why is this self-indulgent tangent included?

The author himself addresses this potential criticism by framing the digression as divinely inspired. As detailed in Chapter 2, the warning against "useless effort" specifically refers to engaging in dualistic debates and refuting others' arguments. The story about the name 'Hemadpant' is presented differently. The author notes that upon remembering his promise to the listeners, he felt it was appropriate to satisfy their curiosity, stating, "this too is Sai’s inspiration." The text acknowledges that a doubt about the identity of "the devotee Hemadpant" would "naturally arise" in the reader's mind. Therefore, this "sub-story within the story" is not seen as a useless, ego-driven effort but as an inspired clarification to help the reader connect with the narrative and its narrator.