What kinds of motivations did people have for visiting Sai Baba, and how did he influence them?

People visited Sai Baba for a wide variety of reasons. As described in Chapter 14, their motivations ranged from pure devotion to skepticism and testing. Some visitors came simply to mock him, while many others, described as being attached to the world, came to pray for material things like long life, wealth, property, and children. Baba's influence was profound and transformative. The text notes his "strange, profound style" could burn away the "bad intellect" of even those who came to mock, turning them into devotees. For others, it would at least instill a sense of repentance. Baba's core intention was that through the act of giving Dakshina, their hearts would be purified.