The Secret Doctrine of Goddess Lalita
(Sri LalitaAṣṭottara Rahasyārthamu)
15. saṃhṛtāśēṣa pāṣaṇḍā; 16. sadāchāra pravartikā
She who destroys all heretics.
She who is immersed in right conduct and inspires others to follow.
Like the śiṣṭa-s, duṣṭa-s are also created by Devī . How can She be partial to one and not to the other of Her creation? Isn’t She karuṇa mūrti, the compassionate one? As the Divine Mother of all, shouldn’t She have equanimity towards all?
There is no doubt that Devī treats all Her creation equally. She destroys all heretical doctrines, such as those of the materialists (cārvāka-s) that get popularized in the world from time to time. These doctrines appeal to masses because they are easy to follow. Most humans are of mediocre intelligence. By associating themselves with such heretical doctrines, they become duṣṭa-s. They live in avidyā, obsessed by kāma and karma. They are satisfied with material pleasures, and have no aspiration for higher knowledge. They live in ignorance, die in ignorance, and are reborn in ignorance.
Devī transforms duṣṭa-s into śiṣṭa-s by destroying doctrines that distract and mislead them. That is the reason why great teachers (acārya-s) appear in certain locations of the world from time to time. It is only due to Devī’s grace and the power of Self-Knowledge that She bestows on them that these teachers are able to drive away heretical teachings, and reestablish right thinking and order in the world. Shankara and Ramanuja are such great sages that appeared in the past, and there are many in the present who are also working hard towards spreading the Knowledge that can free people from saṃsāra. The passion and commitment with which these sages accomplish their goals is a manifestation of the power of Devī.
The wise say that one must save oneself first and then save others. These sages have a wealth of Knowledge. They have rid themselves of the three doṣā-s and freed themselves from the clutches of saṃsāra. If we keep company of such wise sages and follow their instructions, we too will be free. People are infatuated by those who have attained name and fame, and follow them without any discrimination. If these famed people propagate wrong teachings, people who follow them will apply the wrong teaching to their lives and become entrenched deeper in the three doṣā-s. If they follow a teacher who propagates sadācāra, the right teaching, they become śiṣṭa-s. Devī gives birth to such wise teachers from time to time to guide seekers to the right path.