What is the spiritual significance of the tiger's death in front of Sai Baba?

The story of the tiger illustrates the profound spiritual merit of dying in the presence of a great saint. When the fierce, diseased tiger was brought before Sai, it bowed its head, and after their eyes met, it struck its tail on the ground three times and died at His feet. As Chapter 31 explains, this was not a mere death but an act of liberation. The text posits that to leave one's body before a saint's eyes is a result of great fortune and merit, saving the creature from all its sins (Verse 143). This event is framed as the ultimate salvation, a way to settle a karmic debt from a past life and become free (Verse 144). Therefore, the tiger's death was seen as a supreme blessing and a path to liberation, not a tragic end.