Why did the devotees feel regret after Baba's passing, and how did they find hope?

The devotees felt immense repentance after Sai Baba left his body, believing their own internal conflicts and fighting had caused him pain. Chapter 43 expresses this sentiment clearly: "By harassing devotee after devotee, we lost Sainath. We feel repentance for that now." They lamented not heeding his words that it is not good to harass anyone. However, their despair was countered by a divine promise. The same chapter reveals that Baba had told them, "As an eight-year-old child, I will appear again." This assurance from a saint gave them the confidence that he would return, transforming their sorrow into faithful anticipation.