Before receiving the name "Hemadpant," how did the author describe his own character and mindset?

The author provides a candid self-assessment of his former nature in Chapter 2. He reveals that the name "Hemadpant" was given to him later and that he was not always the devotee who composed the "Sai Leela." He describes his initial self as being mischievous, talkative, cynical, and highly critical. He admits to being arrogant about his knowledge, possessing a logic-driven mind that was always proud of its own wisdom and prone to argumentation. He states he had a "bad intellect" and knew nothing of a Satguru's greatness, indicating a significant transformation was to come before he could undertake the sacred task of writing Sai Baba's story.