As Srila Prabhupada says:

“These three Deities have very specific qualities. Worship of Madan-Mohan is on the platform of reestablishing our forgotten relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the beginning of our spiritual life we must worship Madan-Mohan so that He may attract us and nullify our attachment for material sense gratification. This relationship with Madan-Mohan is necessary for neophyte devotees. Then, when one wishes to render service to the Lord with strong attachment, one worships Govinda on the platform of transcendental service. When by the grace of Krishna and the other devotees one reaches perfection in devotional service, he can appreciate Krishna as Gopijanaballabha [Gopinatha], the pleasure Deity of the damsels of Vraja.”

“…Chanted three times a day by brahmanas, the famed Gayatri mantra is also said to honor this progression of Deities—Madan-Mohan, Govinda, and Gopinath—by specifically mentioning their names. One line of the mantra begins as follows: “Klim Krishnaya Govindaya Gopijanavallabhaya.” Traditionally, “Krishnaya” refers to Madan-Mohan; “Govindaya” refers to Govindadev; and “Gopijana-ballabhaya” refers to Gopinatha.”

“As the person who established the worship of Madan-Mohan, Sanatana Gosvami occupies a special position in the Chaitanyite disciplic succession. He is the representative teacher of sambandha-jnana, or knowledge of our proper devotional relationship with Krishna. Rupa Gosvami, whose name is inseparably connected with that of Govindadev, is the representative teacher of abhidheya-jnana, or knowledge of how to develop that relationship with Krishna. It is interesting, however, that Raghunath Das Gosvami, not Madhu Pandit – a contemporary of the Gosvamis who is usually aligned with the Gopinath Deity, is considered the representative teacher of prayojana, the perfection of love of God.

“Nonetheless, it is said that Raghunath Das Gosvami accepts the lotus feet of Srila Rupa as his highest aspiration and that Srila Rupa, in turn, accepts Sanatana Gosvami as his spiritual master and the lord of his life. In this sense, spiritual life is cyclical, for there is no higher or lower in a realm where everyone competes to be the highest by serving the lowest. It can thus be said that one devotee chases after the other, and all chase after Krishna.”