What does the text say about Sai Baba's death? Did he really die?

According to the teachings in Chapter 43, Sai Baba's departure was not a death in the conventional sense. The text describes the death of saints as being like a solar eclipse, which is merely a 'defect of vision' for the observer rather than a reality for the saint themselves. It is explained that Sai Samarth, being a Yogi, could die at will and chose to burn his body in the 'fire of Yoga,' merging himself into the unmanifest while simultaneously remaining in the hearts of his devotees. The chapter emphasizes that avatars are not truly touched by birth and death, which are considered 'false imaginations.' Instead of perishing, Baba attained his previous unmanifest state, transcending the material form.