Servitude means service. Knowing Sai's ideal, secret of His philosophy, serving Him with devotion and obeying His orders are indeed acts of devotion for Sai. Offering services to Sai idols in temples, cleaning, washing the temple and meditating on Sai's image in the eye of one's mind and worshipping Him are the various methods of this devotion. The "devotion of servitude" is practiced with an objective of obtaining great love of Sai, always serving Him and to be ever in His presence. Sai grants liberation to people with the devotional fervour. Baba accepted the services of the sick for removing the sins of their previous lives, to make them pious and finally bless them.
Baba thrust His hand into the fire to save a gold-smith's child from slipping into the flames of the furnace. His hand got burnt and devotees called for a doctor. But, Baba offered this service to a devotee, Bhagoji Shinde, suffering from leprosy, with shrunk fingers, body oozing foul smell and pus leaking out of his body. Shinde used to apply ghee on Sai's hand, put a leaf and bandage it everyday and tried to alleviate the pain. Shinde was thus blessed by Baba to serve Him in order to get his sins of past lives absolved. Servitude as a mode of devotion is the easiest path for Baba's devotees.