The text claims Sai has 'authority even over Time (Death).' How do the stories about his passing support or complicate this idea?

The claim from Chapter 44 that Sai Baba has "authority even over Time (Death)" is central to understanding the narrative of his passing. This authority is not presented as an avoidance of physical death, but as mastery over it. The text supports this by recounting a past event where Baba appeared to die for three days before consciously returning to his body, demonstrating that he was not a mere victim of circumstance. When he finally did pass, this memory caused his followers to doubt if it was true death or a willed state of samadhi. This very doubt, as detailed in Chapter 44, reinforces the theme of his authority, suggesting his departure was a conscious act rather than a passive event.