Verse 2.179

Sanskrit text and transliteration:

आत्माग्रहातिरेकेण तस्या रूपं न विद्यते ।
अमित्रवदविद्येति सत्येवं घटते सदा ॥ १७९ ॥

ātmāgrahātirekeṇa tasyā rūpaṃ na vidyate |
amitravadavidyeti satyevaṃ ghaṭate sadā || 179 ||

English translation of verse 2.179:

Its nature does not consist in anything other than the non-perception of the Self. Only if it is said that the term avidyā is like the term amitra, it is always tenable.

Notes:

Avidyā is not negative (abhāva), but something positive. It should not be interpreted negatively as the prior non-existence of knowledge (jñāna-prāgabhāva). It is a positive entity which conceals the nature of the Self. Concealment (āvaraṇa) is what it does; and it constitutes the nature of avidyā. The work of concealment will not be possible in the case of a negative entity, what is non-existent. The Advaitin does not admit the existence of any negative entity at all. Therefore, the term avidyā does not mean the absence or non-existence of knowledge, since the mere absence or non-existence of knowledge cannot do the work of concealing or veiling the Self (abhāvasya ācchādanatvāyagāt).

The word avidyā must be explained in the same way as the word amitra is explained. The negative prefix a in the word amitra conveys the idea that the person denoted by the word is other than or opposed to a friend (anyatvaṃ tadviruddhatvaṃ vā naño'rthaḥ). In the same way, the negative prefix a in the word avidyā conveys the sense that the thing denoted by the word is something other than vidyā (vidyāto'nyaivam) [?] or something opposed to vidyā (vidyāviruddhatvam). It does not convey the idea of the absence of vidyā.

Ānandagiri explains the expression ātmāgraha which means nonperception of the Self as the concealment of the Self (ātmano'graho nāma āvaraṇam ācchādanam).