Why did Maharaj cause financial difficulties for his devotee Kashiram, even making him borrow money?

Maharaj's actions were a divine play, or Leela, designed to help his devotee Kashiram overcome a spiritual obstacle. As detailed in Chapter 0, Kashiram felt pride in his ability to give Dakshina and would become upset if Maharaj didn't accept it. To remove this pride, which is an obstacle to spiritual progress, Maharaj began demanding more and more Dakshina until Kashiram's funds were depleted. He even instructed Kashiram to borrow from a grocer. The entire purpose of this Leela was to make Kashiram realize he did not have the power to give. Once this realization dawned on him, his financial condition began to improve and he became prosperous again.