What is the primary spiritual lesson derived from the story of Pundalikrao and the lost coconut?

The story of Pundalikrao's lost coconut serves as a profound spiritual lesson about the nature of ego. As explained in Chapter 51, the incident itself was merely an excuse for Sai Baba to impart crucial advice to his distressed devotee. The core message is that the more one sheds their ego and becomes non-egoistic, the more authority and ease they gain on the spiritual path. This state of being free from pride and guilt allows one to easily navigate life's challenges, described metaphorically as crossing the "ocean of existence." Baba's counsel effectively cleared Pundalikrao's troubled mind.