This nama signifies the four vyuhas or the expansions of the Supreme Lord. The Vyuhas are – Vasudeva, Sankarshana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha.
VyuhyAtmAnam chaturdhaa vai Vasudevaadi mortibhih
Srishtyaadeen prakarotyesha VishrutAtma Janaardanah
Vyuha refers to a form that has a purpose associated with it. Vasudeva for Creation; Sankarshana for sustenance; Aniruddha for promolugating the spiritual knowledge; Pradyumna as the destroyer.
vāsudeva-saṅkarṣaṇa-pradyumnāniruddha
‘dvitīya catur-vyūha’ ei–turīya, viśuddha (CC Adi 5.41)
Vāsudeva, Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna and Aniruddha constitute this second quadruple. They are purely transcendental. From Vāsudeva, who is the primary expansion, come Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna and Aniruddha in that order. Another name of Vāsudeva is Paramātmā, another name of Saṅkarṣaṇa is jīva (the living entity), another name of Pradyumna is mind, and another name of Aniruddha is ahaṅkāra (false ego). Among these expansions, Vāsudeva is considered the origin of material nature.
Vishnu in His vyūha manifestation which is four-fold (Chatur-vyūha) – Vasudeva (as the creator), Samkarsana (as the sustainer), Pradyumna (as destroyer – dissolution of the universe) and Aniruddha (as promulgator of spiritual knowledge). This is the Vaiśnava doctrine of Vyūha or the doctrine of formation. The Chatur-vyūha forms of Vishnu are related to four of the six causes of creation which six are God Himself as the final cause of creation and His five aspects – Narāyana (‘thinking’), Vāsudeva (‘feeling’), Samkarśana (‘willing’), Pradyumna (‘knowing’) and Aniruddha (‘acting’) successively; each divinity controls its specific creative energy. Vyuha.
Lets chant the Holy Name of this Chatur Vyuhah Lord and seek to be immersed in His thoughts, His service at all times. May we always chant these Chatur Vyuhah names to purify our existence.
Nama 140 – VishnuSahasranama