During his days in Vrindavan (1970’s), as a brahmachari, Pujyapad Shankaracharya of Puri (Maharajji), came across a baba known as “Phool-chor baba” (the baba who steals flowers).
Phool-chor baba must have been around 80-85 years old, and a bit over 100 years when he left his body. No one knew where this baba had come from, his background, or any other details. He got this name since he would only offer only those flowers to Banke Bihariji (Krishna Bhagavan of Vrindavan), that were stolen by him from the garden of Banke Bihariji. Initially, he was even beaten up for this but this would not deter him and somehow he managed to get into the garden to steal flowers.
People would buy flowers worth a hundred rupees and give them to this baba for his offering, but he would throw them away. Later, everyone started seeing him as a great siddha.
Phool-chor baba had no place to stay. Outside the verandah of the library of Odiavaadi baba, he hid something in one of the cupboards. If anyone tried to see what it was, he used to slap him. If anyone touched his feet, he got kicked by him. Phool-chor baba’s kick would prove to be a blessing on that person’s life.
A story told by Phool-chor baba to Maharajji –
In my youth, I was walking along the banks of the Narmada.
There was a young healthy sant who was sleeping during sunset. Seeing him lying like this at sunset, I abused him, asking him to get up.
Phool-chor baba shouted, “You are being a nastika, sleeping like this on the banks of the Narmada at sunset despite being so young and healthy. Get up and do bhajan. Is this a time to sleep?”
After having heard his abuses a few times, the sant called Phool-chor baba near him. “Come, put your ear here, here, and here,” said the sant, pointing towards his shoulder and then all other parts of his body.
At each point where Phool-chor baba put his ear, he heard “Ram-Ram-Ram”.
Then, the sant asked, “Now, have you understood my bhajan?”
With the blessings of Bhagavan, the sant had attained perfection in a sadhana that makes the whole body reverberate with the Bhagavan’s jap, mantra and name.