Why did Baba seem to prefer group listening at the Wada over just having people study the books by themselves?

Sai Baba's method was driven by a deep "desire for the welfare of the devotees" and the "salvation of souls," as stated in Chapter 18. By establishing a central reading at Sathe's Wada, he created a communal spiritual event. He would assign a reader, like Bapusaheb Jog, and then actively channel other devotees to go and listen. This approach ensured that many people, not just the literate or disciplined few, would be exposed to the teachings of divinely inspired books like the Uddhava Gita. Chapter 18 notes this arrangement was of "great use to the devotees," suggesting that the shared experience and Baba's direct orchestration of it were key to bestowing grace on a wider scale than solitary study might allow.