What is the symbolic significance of Baba drinking the oil and water mixture before lighting the lamps?

The act of drinking the mixture before performing the miracle holds deep symbolic meaning. As Chapter 5 recounts, after being refused oil, Baba took the tin pot with a tiny bit of remaining oil, poured water into it, and then drank it himself. The text explicitly states he made it an 'offering to Brahman (the Supreme).' This action transforms a simple act of lighting lamps into a sacred ritual. By first internalizing and consecrating the elements through a personal offering to the divine, he demonstrated that the subsequent miracle was not a magic trick, but a manifestation of divine will flowing through him, turning ordinary water into fuel for light.