What was the specific reason Dev failed to recognize Sai Baba when he appeared as a Sanyasi at his feast?

Dev's failure to recognize Sai Baba was due to a "veil of Maya" and a specific sequence of events that created his confusion. As recounted in Chapter 40, the man who appeared as a Sanyasi had previously visited Dev for a completely different reason—to collect funds for cow protection. This initial meeting happened before Dev had even sent the Udyapan invitation to Sai Baba in Shirdi. Therefore, when the same Sanyasi returned and asked for a meal, Dev simply saw him as the fundraiser and did not connect him with Baba. Dev himself later lamented this, realizing his delusion was caused because the Sanyasi's first visit was for his own work, and only after that did the invitation go to Sai.