Why did Sai Baba claim that devotion is essential for liberation, even for celestial beings like Lord Brahma?

Sai Baba emphasized the supreme importance of devotion as the primary path to liberation from Maya, the root of worldly existence. As explained in Chapter 39, he posed the question: 'Without devotion to the Lord, why toil with other means?' The text states that Maya's power is so vast that even a creator deity like Lord Brahma is under its influence and requires devotion for his own release. This illustrates that no level of existence or attainment can bypass the necessity of devotion. Baba warns that even if one reaches the highest celestial abodes, such as the abode of Brahma, liberation is not guaranteed. If devotion to the Lord is neglected there, one will inevitably fall back into the cycle of rebirth, highlighting devotion as the indispensable key to ultimate freedom.