What specific event moved Hemadpant to write a book about Sai Baba?

The primary inspiration for Hemadpant to write the Shri Sai Satcharitra was witnessing the incident of Baba grinding wheat to stop the cholera epidemic. As detailed in Chapter 1, Hemadpant felt a sense of "wonder" and struggled to comprehend the connection between the cause (grinding wheat) and the effect (the disease receding). Seeing this "inconceivable cause and effect," he felt a strong urge to document Baba's life and divine plays. The text explicitly states, "Seeing the inconceivable cause and effect, I felt like writing a book." This powerful experience filled his heart with love and a desire to sing the "sweet story of Baba," leading him to compose the sacred text.