Sathya Sai Baba tells us that the spiritual growth of a person is best achieved through an integrated practice of devotion, study, and service. The purpose of a study circle is made explicitly clear by Baba as follows:

Swami's discourse on study circle

“It is not just reading books. Circle, study circle means taking a point and each person discussing what is the meaning of the point to them—like a round table conference. Each person gives his point of view, and finally values are derived from this. If there is just reading, there is doubt, but if each one gives his view, doubts will be answered. The topic is viewed; the study circle looks at different facets. It is like a diamond with its different facets, but there is one facet that is flat, the top facet, and from this all can be viewed. To discover the top facet is the task [purpose] of study circle”.

Study Circle is not just reading books. It means taking a point and each person discussing what it means to them. Like a round table conference. ... The study circle looks at the different facet, ... but, as in a diamond, there is one facet that is flat, and from it, all can be viewed. To discover the top facet is the task of the study circle. [Hislop, Conversations with Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba, pp 165–166]