Verse 2.34

Sanskrit text and transliteration:

देशकालादिसम्भेदपूर्विकाऽवाप्तिरिष्यते ।
देशकालाद्यभिन्नस्य कथं सेत्युच्यते यथा ।
सर्वात्मनोऽप्यनाप्तिः स्याद्दशमस्येव मोहजा ॥ ३४ ॥

deśakālādisambhedapūrvikā'vāptiriṣyate |
deśakālādyabhinnasya kathaṃ setyucyate yathā |
sarvātmano'pyanāptiḥ syāddaśamasyeva mohajā || 34 ||

English translation of verse 2.34:

Attainment is possible in the case of that which is limited by space, time, etc., involving duality. How is that possible in the case of Brahman which is not limited by space, time, etc.? The answer is that though (Brahman is) all-pervasive, it is non-attained due to ignorance, like the tenth man.

Notes:

Brahman, it may be argued, is not an object of attainment. One can attain an object which is limited by space, time, and other objects. But Brahman is all-pervasive, eternal, and the Self of all; and so it is not limited by space, time, and other objects, It may, therefore, be objected that Brahman cannot be an object of attainment.

It is true that attainment in the literal sense of the term is not possible in the case of Brahman. The attainment here is not real, but figurative (aupacārika). Consider the case of a person who wrongly thinks, due to ignorance, that the tenth man is missing, though he happens to be that tenth man. When his ignorance is removed, there is the “attainment” of the tenth man. In the same way, on account of igṅorance Brahman is not attained; and when ignorance is removed it appears as if Brahman is attained though the truth is that it is always ever-attained. So the attainment of Brahman is not real, but only figurative.