Who is the writer that Sai Baba gave permission to create a collection of stories, and what was the writer's initial character?

The writer who received permission to compile Sai Baba's stories is the one who would later be known as Hemadpant. As described in chapter 2, Sai Baba felt compassion for him and granted permission for the work. The writer candidly describes his own initial character as being flawed; he was "mischievous, talkative, cynical, and critical." He admits to being arrogant about his knowledge, possessing a "bad intellect and a logic-driven mind," and knowing nothing of the Satguru's greatness before this transformative experience.