What was Sai Baba's initial explanation for why he accepted money from one man but not the other, and what deeper philosophy did he hint at?

When confronted by Shama about his seemingly partial behavior towards the two men from Goa, Sai Baba offered a profound initial explanation. As recorded in Chapter 36, Baba stated, "Shama, you don't know; I don't take anything from anyone. Mother Masjid demands what is owed, and the giver becomes free from debt." He emphasized his own detachment, questioning why he, who has no family or worldly life, would need wealth. By saying this, Baba shifted the context from a simple monetary transaction to the settling of a karmic account. He further hinted at a deeper philosophy by stating that "debt, enmity, and murder—these are not escaped by the doer even at the end of an eon," suggesting the offering was related to a debt from a past life.