The book says Sai had authority over Time and Death. How does that fit with the story of his passing?

The text presents Sai Baba's passing not as a defeat by death, but as an act of will, demonstrating his mastery over it. Chapter 44 poses a rhetorical question: "He who has authority even over Time (Death); how can he suffer at its hands?" This implies his departure was a controlled event. The narrative supports this by showing him consciously preparing for his passing by listening to the Ramayana for fourteen days. His death is described as attaining a "state of bodilessness" on a chosen day, Vijayadashami. This, combined with the memory of him seemingly dying for three days and returning 32 years prior, suggests his final passing was a voluntary exit rather than an involuntary submission to death.