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Lord Vishnu is beloved to have taken 10/12 primary Avatars.

Lord Vishnu is described as the protector.

The system that interprets the Mahavakyas as espousing the Duality of Reality is called the Visishtadvaita,Qualified Non Dualism, where the Reality Vishnu and the individual souls attain the abode of Lord Vishnu, Vaikunta, primarily by Bhakthi Yoga , the path of Devotion.

In Sri Vaishavism, total surrender to God, Vishnu is emphasized.

Vishnu, in the undifferentiated Universal aspect is called the Para Vasudeva.

At the empirical level He has many forms , in the Form of Avatars.

This aspect of Vishnu is called Vyuha.

Each signifies an aspect of the Reality.

Visnu Sahasranama states,

Chatur Vyuha Chatur gathi:

Four Formations and Four Goals.

The Four Formations/stages are,

Jagrat-The waking stage,

Swapna, the Dream State,

Sushupthi, the deep Dreamless state and

Turiya, the stage the individuality is merged in the Reality.

The Four Goals are,

Dharma, Righteousness,

Artha, Wealth, day-to-day affairs,

Kaama, desires and

Moksha.

To realize this at each stage, the Lakshmi Tantra, describes the Twelve Vishnus, one each for a Month.

Each month has an effect on the Humans and psyche.

So a Vishnu form is provided to meditate for every month.

They are,

Each of the twelve Vyuhantara is identified with a month and is revered as masa-devatha (lord of the month).And; collectively they are identified with the year.

Each of the twelve Vyuhantara is identified with a month and is revered as masa-devatha (lord of the month).

And; collectively they are identified with the year.

Vishnu here represents the Kaala Purusha.

From Lakshmi Tantra on Vyuhas.

The text elaborates that right after the final stage of Vyuha evolution and the onset of jagrat (wakeful) state of existence, each of the four Vyuha produced three further forms that resembled their creators (Vyuha) in all respects.

19.3. Accordingly, from Vyuha -Vasudeva, Keshava, Narayana and Madhava emanated; from Sankarshana emanated Govinda, Vishnu and Madhusudana; from Pradyumna emanated Trivikrama, Vamana and Sridhara; and from Aniruddha emanated Hrishikesha, Padmanabha and Damodara.

19.4. Vyuha is the major formation and the twelve forms that emanated from it constitute the secondary formation; and therefore known as upavyha or vyuhantara, which literally means ‘the one that within the Vyuha’.

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