What is the true nature of Sai Baba's existence according to Chapter 43? Was his passing a real death?

According to the teachings in Chapter 43, Sai Baba's passing was not a death in the conventional sense. He is described as the complete Supreme Brahman, for whom birth and death are irrelevant illusions. The text states that death for saints is like an eclipse—a defect of vision for the observer, not a reality for the saint. Sai Samarth could die at will, and he chose to merge himself into the unmanifest by burning his body in the fire of Yoga. He transcended the material state to attain his previous unmanifest form, but he remains ever-present in the hearts of his devotees and continues to keep them awake in their spiritual journey.