What is the significance of the River Ganges analogy mentioned in Chapter 47?

The analogy of the River Ganges, or Bhagirathi, in Chapter 47 serves to elevate the status of saints like Sai Baba to the highest degree. The chapter explains that the Ganges, which purifies the world by washing away the sins of countless people, becomes soiled herself in the process. To wash away her own accumulated impurities, she yearns for the touch of a saint's feet, asking, "When will the feet of saints touch me?" This imagery powerfully conveys that the purifying power of a true saint is even greater than that of the holy Ganges. As described in Chapter 47, it establishes Sai Baba as a supreme being whose grace and presence can absolve even the most profound impurities, setting a reverent tone for the stories that follow.