Last but an important advice about food given by Baba is about charity: Different sadhanas (means of accomplishments) are prescribed in our scriptures for different ages. Tapa (penance) is recommended for Krita Age, Jnana (knowledge) for Treta Age, Yajna (Sacrifice) for Dwapara Age and Dana (Charity) for Kali (Present) Age. Of all the kinds of charities, giving food is the best one. We are much perturbed when we get no food at noon. Other beings feel similarly under similar circumstances. Knowing this, he who gives food to the poor and hungry is the best donor or charitable person. The Taittiriya Upanishad says, “Food is Brahma, from food all the creatures are born and having been born, by food they live and having departed, into food they again enter”. Other kinds of charities, viz, giving away wealth, property, clothes, etc, require some discrimination, but in the matter of food, no such consideration is necessary. Let anybody come to our door at noon, he should be served food and if, crippled, blind and diseased come, they should be fed first and the able-bodies persons and our relatives afterwards.

In this regard also, Baba himself had set an example. In early days, he very often used to feed the poor and helpless by himself cooking in big pots (handi). He used to buy the grains and spices from the bazaar and do the needful grinding also by himself. Later, devotees started thronging to Shirdi in large numbers, and cooked food in the form of naivedya in large quantities, so there was no need for Baba to cook. However, he never stopped distributing this naivedya food to all and sundry. He himself hardly tasted it.

Sai Baba was always practical and realistic in his advice. While eulogizing on charity, he also warned about overdoing it and becoming a debtor. The crux of his advice regarding food was to learn to be satisfied with whatever food was served. This would not only ensure good health but would also help one in one’s efforts for attaining emancipation.