Madan-Mohan represents sambandha-tattva, Govinda-dev represents abhidheya-tattva and Gopinätha represents prayojana-tattva.
As Çréla Prabhupäda 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 Kåñëa and the other devotees one reaches perfection in devotional service, he can appreciate Kåñëa as Gopijanaballabha [Gopinätha], the pleasure Deity of the damsels of Vraja.”
“…Chanted three times a day by brahmanas, the famed Gäyatré mantra is also said to honor this progression of Deities—Madan-Mohan, Govinda, and Gopinäth—by specifically mentioning their names. One line of the mantra begins as follows: “Klim Kåñëäya Govindäya Gopijanavallabhäya.” Traditionally, “Kåñëäya” refers to Madan-Mohan; “Govindäya” refers to Govindadev; and “Gopijana-ballabhäya” refers to Gopinätha.”
“…Chanted three times a day by brahmanas, the famed Gäyatré mantra is also said to honor this progression of Deities—Madan-Mohan, Govinda, and Gopinäth—by specifically mentioning their names. One line of the mantra begins as follows: “Klim Kåñëäya Govindäya Gopijanavallabhäya.” Traditionally, “Kåñëäya” refers to Madan-Mohan; “Govindäya” refers to Govindadev; and “Gopijana-ballabhäya” refers to Gopinätha.”
“Kåñëa is called Kämadeva or Madan-Mohan, the Deity who establishes our relationship with Kåñëa. Govinda, or Puspabana, who carries an arrow made of flowers, is the Personality of Godhead who accepts our devotional service. Ananga, or Gopijanavallabha, satisfies all the gopés and is the ultimate goal of life.”
“As the person who established the worship of Madan-Mohan, Sanatäna Gosvämé occupies a special position in the Chaitanyite disciplic succession. He is the representative teacher of sambandha-jïäna, or knowledge of our proper devotional relationship with Kåñëa. Rupa Gosvämé, whose name is inseparably connected with that of Govindadev, is the representative teacher of abhidheya-jïäna, or knowledge of how to develop that relationship with Kåñëa. It is interesting, however, that Raghunath Das Gosvämé, not Madhu Pandit – a contemporary of the Gosvämés who is usually aligned with the Gopinäth Deity, is considered the representative teacher of prayojana, the perfection of love of God.
“Nonetheless, it is said that Raghunath Das Gosvämé accepts the lotus feet of Çréla Rupa as his highest aspiration and that Çréla Rupa, in turn, accepts Sanatäna Gosvämé 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 Kåñëa.”
Rädhä Ramana
‘While Rüpa Gosvämé was worshiping Rädhä Govinda and Sanätana Gosvämé was worshiping Madan Mohan one very wealthy devotee came to Våndävana and he gave jewels, crowns and flutes to all the Gosvämés to worship their Deities. Now at that time Gopäla Bhatta Gosvämé had twelve sälagräma-çiläs which he used to put in a piece of cloth and wear around his neck. He kept them with him always and he worshiped them with great love. But he now had all these nice deity paraphernalia but the sälagräma is not a form where you can offer all of these nice offerings. So he prayed to the Lord that if He so desired, to please allow him to serve Him in His beautiful three-fold bending form. It was actually on Narasiàha Chaturdaçé that Gopäla Bhatta Gosvämé was in this mood and he prayed to his sälagräma-çiläs: “On this very day Lord Narasiàhadeva appeared in a beautiful form so you can also do the same thing.” The next morning when he came to do his seva for the sälagrämas he saw that one of his çilä, the Dämodara-çilä, had transformed to a beautiful form of Çré Kåñëa – only about 12 inches high, but so enchanting, standing curved in three places, tribhanga, playing His flute. When Gopäla Bhatta Gosvämé saw this wonderful mercy, how the Damodara-çila had manifested this beautiful form of Çré Kåñëa, he bowed down and began to offer wonderful prayers. When Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé, Çréla Sanätana Gosvämé and the other great Gaudiya Vaiñëavas heard this news, they came to the place where Gopäla Bhatta Gosvämé was offering his prayers and when they saw the beautiful form of Rädhä Raman they were struck with wonder.
In fact, it is said that there are three prominent deities of Våndävana: Madan Mohan, Çré Govinda and Gopinätha, and it is explained by the Gaudiya Vaiñëavas that Kåñëa’s lotus feet are fully manifested in the most extraordinary way in Madan Mohan who is the Sambandha mürti. We establish our relationship with Kåñëa by first approaching His feet and then the Abhidheya-mürti, that is Govindaji. After establishing our relationship with the Lord then we act according to that relationship which is by rendering humble loving service and it is explained that the hands playing the flute and the chest of the Lord is perfectly manifested in its most super excellent way in the deity of Govinda. And through serving the Lord of abhidheya, gradually we become utterly purified and attain the state of prayojana bhakti. That means the ultimate goal of unalloyed love of God in the mood of the residents of Våndävana. Lord Gopinätha is the Prayojana-mürti.
When we come before the Deity, it is not proper for to look directly at the face of the Lord. We must first look below His feet, surrender ourselves and take shelter of His lotus feet. And then gradually we may go up the various limbs and then see the beautiful smiling face of the Lord. The lotus face of Kåñëa is perfectly and in the most super excellent way manifested in Gopinäthji who is the worshipable deity of Madhu Pandit. When the Gosvämés saw Rädhä Raman they all acclaimed that Rädhä Raman had the feet of Madan Mohan, the flute playing mid section of Govinda and the face of Gopinätha. All the three mürtis have appeared in one beautiful divine form!
Of the six Gosvämés’ original mürtis, this Rädhä Ramana is the only one that never left Våndävana.
only one that never left Våndävana.
Govindaji and others had to be taken to Rajasthan and other places when Aurangzeb and his armies came to defy the Hindus and destroy temples and mürtis. But as Rädhä Ramana appeared in a very small size he was easily concealed and nobody ever found him. He just never wanted to leave Våndävana. Gopäla Bhatta Gosvämé named him on that day Rädhä Ramana – one who gives the greatest pleasure to Çrématé Rädhäräëé.’
