The concept of avidyā is one of the central categories in the Advaita of ?a?kara and Ma??ana. Shifting the focus from māyā, interpreted either as illusion or as the divine power, this concept brings ignorance to the forefront in describing duality and bondage. Although all Advaitins accept avidyā as a category, its scope and nature is interpreted in multiple ways. Key elements in Ma??ana’s philosophy include the plurality of avidyā, individual selves as its substrate and the Brahman as its field (vi?aya), and the distinction in avidyā between non-apprehension and misapprehension. A closer investigation shows that Ma??ana is directly influenced by Bhart?hari’s linguistic non-dualism in developing the concept of avidyā. This study also compares other key constituents such as vivartta and pari?āma that are relevant to the analysis of avidyā. As the concept of counter-image (pratibimba) emerges as a distinct stream of Advaita subsequent to Ma??ana, this study also compares the application of pratibimba in the writings of Bhart?hari and Ma??ana.
