Why were the darveshis described as being both sad and pleased after their tiger died?

The darveshis experienced conflicting emotions because the tiger's death had both a material loss and a spiritual gain. As Chapter 31 explains, they were sad-faced because the tiger was their "means of livelihood" and their "family's sustenance." Its death meant the end of their income. However, they were also pleased because they recognized the immense spiritual fortune that had befallen the creature. They understood that for the diseased, near-death tiger, dying at the feet of a great saint like Sai Baba was not a tragedy but a blessing. Verse 142 of Chapter 31 notes that they were pleased because "the creature attained liberation." They were happy at heart knowing that this path to salvation was attained for the tiger, freeing it from its suffering and sins.