Why did Sai Maharaj instruct his devotee Kashiram to always carry powdered sugar to feed to ants?

This question contains a common misunderstanding. While the devotee Kashiram did carry powdered sugar specifically for feeding ants, this instruction did not come from Maharaj (Sai Baba). As explained in Chapter 0, Kashiram followed the advice of a different saint named Janakidas Baba, who had advised him to perform this act of service. The bundle of sugar became very dear to Kashiram due to this spiritual guidance, so much so that he fought off robbers to protect it, mistakenly believing it was treasure.