Nirodbihari Ghosh in pre-monastic life, second son of Nabagopal Ghosh, the Master’s lay disciple. Joined the Order at Belur Math (1902) at the age of 18. Received mantra-diksha and sannyasa (1914) from Swami Brahmananda. Some weeks after his birth, mother Nistarini Devi, along with her husband, dedicated him at the feet of the Master at Dakshineswar. Picking up the infant and blessing it, he returned it to the mother saying, “I shall take him back when the time is ripe” (Udbodhan, 91.6.334). A versatile singer and artist, the last years of his life were spent in practising spiritual austerities in Punjab. Died on 30.1.1954 at the age of 69.
Nirode, a son of Navagopal and Nistarini who later became Swami Ambikananda of the Ramakrishna Order, wrote in his memoirs: “My parents were devotees of Sri Ramakrishna and often visited him at Dakshineswar. During her pregnancy my mother decided that if a son were born to her she would dedicate him to the service of Sri Ramakrishna. Through the grace of the Lord I was the son born to her. She resolved to keep her promise. One day, when I was a few weeks old, my mother carried me snugly bundled up in a sheet to Dakshineswar. My father accompanied us. Sri Ramakrishna, in an ecstatic mood, was standing alone. As soon as he saw my parents, he said to my mother, ‘Hello, what have you brought for me?’ Mother placed me at the feet of the Master and told him, ‘I have brought you this offering.’ Sri Ramakrishna looked at me for a few moments and remarked: ‘Ah! What a nice child! You offer it to me? Good!’ He took me on his lap, put his right palm on my head as a blessing, and then placed me back in my mother’s arms, saying: ‘Take care of this child now, but know that he belongs to me. In due time I will take him back.’ Years later when I joined the Ramakrishna Monastery, my mother was the happiest of all, for she felt that Sri Ramakrishna had accepted me.” (Source: They Lived with God)
In 1903 Navagopal and his family went on a pilgrimage to Vrindaban and stayed at Balaram Basu’s retreat house, where swamis Brahmananda and Turiyananda were then practising austerities. Nirode became very close to Swami Brahmananda and later became his disciple. He was an accomplished singer and the swami made him his attendant. On that occasion Navagopal went with Swami Brahmananda to Prayag and Vindhyachal. (Source: They Lived with God)