Bhagavata says: When the palate is conquered, everything is controlled. Baba was a perfect Jitendriya. His self-control included conquest of the urges of hunger and sex as directed in Bhagavata.

Baba did not hate or fear poverty. But on the other hand he was content with it and esteemed it. He said “Fakir Aval padsha”. That means, “The Fakir is the real Emperor”, because he can lead a simple life without anxiety. So baba had not possessions, and all these regal paraphernalia mentioned above were kept with Ayi, and after her death, were held by an association, and finally vested in the Sai Sansthan, formed by the order of the Ahmednagar District Court in the year 1922.

All this pomp Baba despised. Abundance of wealth also could never captivate him but he could use it without being tainted^. It served a purpose, namely, the widening of Baba worship, which had a great purpose behind it. That is why Baba allowed all this to develop his worship.

Accumulation of wealth and a royal durbar at Baba’s Dwarakamayee was misunderstood by some; it is necessary to stress and clarify that Baba was a Saint and continued to be a Divine Sadgurau carrying on the noble work referred to already.

Baba had no attachment and so could handle wealth and helped the poor without using a single paisa for his personal benefit. He was a perfectly realized soul in the perfect laya. For such a person, danger of attachment does not arise. Baba told the Sadhu Devadas that fakirs and hermits must avoid Moha and pomp. But in Baba’s case, at the latter end of his life, pomp was thrust upon him and had a useful purpose to serve. Till then Baba avoided pomp. He would not even sit on a chair or lie on a cot, but sat and slept upon a sack or gunny mattress placed on the floor. He would not put on his head the crown or regal dress when the devotees wanting him to look like a Maharaja. Nor would he accept or allow other royal insignia. When a silver-plated palanquin was brought to him with its small silver horses as appurtenances, he refused to receive it. The devotees then said that he need not sit in it, but his picture would be placed in it, and that it will be used for procession. Even then he would not allow the palanquin into the Dwarakamayee, and so they had to leave the palanquin in the open yard in front of his Mosque.

The total income came up to a Provincial Governor’s income on which the authorities tried to levy Income tax. But Baba himself retained nothing at all, as every evening he would dispose of the day’s accumulations. But the Income-tax authorities were able to levy tax upon the regular recipients of Baba’s daily doles such as Bade Baba and Tatya Patil. Thus Baba had a steady and large income form which he was making very liberal presents to Ramadasis, other dasis, acrobats, pandits, and various people who came to him form distant places, for example Madras and Punjab like Abdullah Jan who hoped Baba would provide funds for Hajj.

In addition, the large crowd of persons offered naivedyas of eatables to Baba. It was enough for 200 beggars to be fed everyday by Baba. Thus the appearance of a very prosperous durbar was presented at Shirdi form 1909 up to 1918.

To make the congregational worship more advanced and attractive, there was an enthusiastic set gathering at Shirdi. One Ramakrishna Ayi, a young widow of Sahasrabuddhe of family, came and established herself as a devotee of Baba. Being highly accomplished was intent upon using all her gifts and cleverness for developing Sai Baba’s worship. She drew a large number of people to herself and made them more enthusiastic in the cause of Sai worship. She made them carry out her plan of fitting out Baba and his chavadi in exactly the same way, as these would be fitted out if Baba were a real Maharaja and a real God’s image. The 16 Shodasca upacharas common to all Hindu worship and the Raja upacharas add pomp to worship in temples and mutts. Raja Upacharas means treating the object of worship as a Maharaja. They add to the impressiveness of the ceremony and the religious effect on the mind of those who attend that worship. They also increased the number of worshippers. Thus, Ramakrishna Ayi introduced silver whisks, silver maces, silver umbrellas, silver candelabras, moons, and artificial gardens to deck the chavadi where Baba was worshipped on alternate nights. A car, a palanquin with silver appurtenances, a horse, and other regal paraphernalia were furnished on her insistence and the insistence of other devotees to make Baba worship run exactly like Vittal worship or the worship of great Achayars in their Mutts. This, by itself, would be impressive.

The benefits of attending such worship were quickly seen and realized. Hence number of people from outside the village, that is, from the immediate neighborhood was drawn to the worship. This spread gradually from place to place and people from even remote parts were attracted to the worship. As for the details of worship, it is not necessary to mention how Baba objected to sandal paste being applied to his forehead though no objection was raised to its application to his feet by any one except Mahlsapathy and how ultimately he acquiesced in every one applying sandal paste to his forehead also.

First, Individual worship itself was not organized. But K.G.Bhimsa of Pandharpur, a good Kirtankar and a great adherent of Vittal worship, drew up the ritual for Sai Baba worship on the same lines as the Pandharpur worship. He brought a set of Artis that is ritualistic; coded verses for use by individuals at Shirdi. These were sent up by Baba to Nana Saheb Chandorkar at Jamnere and were approved by him. Thus worship of Baba was formulated based on the customary lines of worship in well-known temples.

The next step was from individual worship to congregational worship and was started in 1908. Congregational worship implied that there would be some one to officiate as pujari and that he would be available at various time of worship namely Matins, vespers, night artis and noon artis.

Merging with God, Baba wanders like an idiot. He has nomadic habits of running here and there.

Bayyaji Bai had to trace him amongst the jungles or under the trees and gave him his food. As for fame, Baba knew fully that many people took him to be mad or foolish and insulted him calling him Pagal. But he had no vanity to be wounded by such lack of regard. He was like the Bhikshu who was subjected to insults and bore them unruffled with silence as part of his Karma.

On the other hand, when people began to show him great regard and wanted to worship him, he wished to avoid it in the interests of his own peaceful and quiet life. His happiness was complete in it and did not require offerings of naivedyas, of praise, of camphor lights, and the assembling of crowds round him. Thus the first obstacle was from Baba himself. But Baba was divinely gifted and had important objects to achieve in his life, which formed his mission.

The Sage should be contended to get just what would keep the body and soul together and see that his powers of knowing, speech and wisdom may not perish.

The Muni, sometimes conceals his nature and attainments; sometimes reveals them. When approached and worshiped by those desirous of achieving their highest well being, the Muni burns up their past evil Karma and subsequent evil Karma also.

Whether food be tasty or tasteless, plenty, or scanty, the sage, like python should just take what comes of itself without any exertion on his part.

Whether he has plenty of comforts or none, his heart is set on Narayana alone. Just as the ocean does not overflow the rivers, which throw their floods into it, nor shrink when the rivers do not, He neither overflows nor shrinks.

People could therefore see a Parama Bhaghavata in him. Thus the serious minded and noble set was easily drawn to worship him despite obstacles.