The author of Chapter 36 questions his own ability to describe Sai's greatness. Why should I trust a narrator who lacks confidence in their own authority?

The author's expression of humility is a key theme in this text. In Chapter 36, when the narrator states, 'What authority do I have? I am truly aware of this,' it is not a declaration of untrustworthiness but rather a pious acknowledgment of the infinite and indescribable nature of a saint like Sai Baba. The author resolves this apparent paradox by explaining that it is not his own ego ('I-ness') speaking. Chapter 36 clarifies the belief that 'the playful Sai himself takes over and makes his own qualities heard by his devotees through someone.' Therefore, the narrator is presented as a humble vessel or pretext, with Sai Baba being the true source of the stories.