Based on the source material, what was the author Hemadpant's character like before he understood the greatness of the Satguru?

The author provides a candid self-assessment of his initial character in Chapter 2. Before he was named Hemadpant and before he understood the Satguru's greatness, he describes himself as mischievous, talkative, cynical, and critical. He was arrogant about his knowledge, possessing a logic-driven mind that was always proud of its own wisdom and prone to argumentation. He admits to having a 'bad intellect' and knowing nothing of a Satguru's true value, a state he implies made him unfit for attaining self-knowledge at that time.