Mananam

  arjunena durgAstotram   Durga Stothram by Sri Arjuna, with Sri Krishna’s inspiration (before Gita Sloka) Mahabharata - Bhishma Parva - Chapter 23 (Southern Recension)   sanjaya uvAcha. dhārtarāṣṭrabalaṃ dṛṣṭvā yuddhāya samupasthitam. arjunasya hitārthāya kṛṣṇo vacanamabravīt .. 1   Shree bhagavAnuvAcha śucirbhūtvā mahābāho saṃgrāmābhimukhe sthitaḥ. parājayāya śtruṇāṃ durgāstotramudīraya .. 2   sañjaya uvāca evamukto'rjunaḥ saṅkhye vāsudevena dhīmatā. avatīrya rathātpārthaḥ stotramāha kṛtāñjaliḥ .. 3   arjuna uvāca namaste siddhasenāni ārye mandaravāsini . kumāri kāli kāpāli kapile kṛṣṇapiṅgale .. 4   bhadrakāli namastubhyaṃ mahākāli namo'stu te . caṇḍi caṇḍe namastubhyaṃ tāriṇi varavarṇini .. 5   kātyāyani mahābhāge karāli vijaye jaye. śikhipicchadhvajadhare nānābharaṇabhūṣite.. 6   aṭṭaśūlapraharaṇe svaṅgakheṭakadhāriṇi . gopendrasyānuje jyeṣṭhe nandagopakulodbhave .. 7   mahiṣāsṛkpriye nityaṃ kauśiki pītavāsini .

Why this sutra ?  In this sutra we see Advaita fundamentals explained in the direct possible terms by Sri Bhagavatpaada. Especially the Advaita position on Ishwara - remarkable clarity.  First read the sutra (but it may not make sense, since you may not have the context, which is fine dont worry about it)  and  then dive into the passages that follow... to see Sri Bhagavatpaada's comments.  SOURCE material used for excerpts : Sri Swami Gambhiranandaji's translation of Sri Sankara Bhasyam - Ramakrishna Mutt.  ------------- Sutra 2.1.14 Tadananyatvamarambhanasabdadibhyah II.1.14 (148) The non-difference of them (i.e. of cause and effect) results from such terms as ‘origin’ and the like. ------------ (Why we can think of Upanisads as Vedanta.... as it concludes the purpose of Vedas) Bhasyam : Furthermore, the Upanisads are the ultimate (conclusive) means of valid knowledge, establishing the truth of the oneness of the Self, after which nothing else remains to be sought after for k