What was the deeper, symbolic meaning behind Sai Baba grinding wheat in the mosque?

The act of Sai Baba grinding wheat was a profound symbolic play to save the village from a cholera epidemic. As detailed in Chapter 1, the villagers initially did not understand why a detached saint would perform such a mundane task. However, it was later revealed that the wheat was not merely grain; it represented the cholera disease itself. By grinding the wheat, Baba was symbolically crushing the epidemic. He then had the women throw the resulting 'flour' on the village boundary, which caused the disease to recede and the bad days to end. This event demonstrated Baba's unique method of protecting his devotees through seemingly incomprehensible actions.