Why did Sai Baba tell the woman he couldn't give her a mantra or 'upadesh'? What did he offer instead?

Sai Baba explained to the woman that he could not give her a mantra or formal instruction ('upadesh') because his own Guru had not taught him in that way. As detailed in Chapter 19, Baba recounts his twelve years of service and states, "my Guru did not blow any mantra into my ears, so how can I blow one into yours?" Instead of a secret syllable, his Guru nurtured him through a constant, loving gaze, which Baba compares to a mother tortoise on one riverbank feeding her young on the other bank with her sight alone. Therefore, Baba offered the woman the same path. He advised her to stop worrying and simply focus her attention on him, saying, "just pay attention to me, and spiritual wealth will come into your hands." This shows his method was based on devotion and focused attention rather than formal ritualistic instruction.