How does the author, who was given the name Hemadpant, describe his own character before he undertook writing Sai Baba's story?

In Chapter 2, the author provides a candid self-assessment of his character before his transformation. He reveals that the name "Hemadpant" was given to him later and that he was initially quite different. He describes himself as mischievous, talkative, cynical, and critical. He states he was arrogant about his knowledge, having no "impurity" of knowledge, and was always proud of his own wisdom. Furthermore, he admits he had a bad intellect and a logic-driven mind prone to argumentation, knowing nothing of the greatness of a Satguru.