vṛttiḥ --- śabdaḥ śrotrendriyagrāhyo niyatakramavarṇātmā niyataikārthapratipattyavacchinnaḥ| yadi vā kramarahitasphoṭātmā śāstrasaṃskṛtabuddhigrāhyaḥ 16| ubhayathā+api padarūpo vākyarūpaśca tayorekārthapratipattau sāmarthyāt| artho jātiguṇakriyādiḥ| pratyayo jñānaṃ viṣayākārā buddhivṛttiḥ| eṣāṃ śabdārthajñānānāṃ vyavahāre itaretarādhyāsādbhinnānāmapi buddhyekarūpatāsampādanāt saṃkīrṇatvam| tathāhi --- gāmānayetyukte kaścidgolakṣaṇamarthaṃ gotvajātyavacchinnaṃ sāsnādimat piṇḍarūpaṃ śabdaṃ ca tadvācakaṃ jñānaṃ ca tadgrāhakamabhedenaivādhyavasyati na tvasya gośabdo vācako+ayaṃ gośabdasya vācyastayoridaṃ grāhakaṃ jñānamiti bhedena vyavaharati| tathāhi --- ko+ayamarthaḥ ko+ayaṃ śabdaḥ kimidaṃ jñānamiti pṛṣṭaḥ sarvatraikarūpamevottaraṃ dadāti gauriti| sa yadyekarūpatāṃ na pratipadyate kathamekarūpamuttaraṃ prayacchati| evaṃ tasminnavasthite yo+ayaṃ 17 pravibhāga idaṃ śabdasya tattvaṃ yadvācakatvaṃ nāma idamarthasya yadvācyatvamidaṃ jñānasya yat prakāśakatvamiti pravibhāgaṃ vidhāya tasmin pravibhāge yaḥ saṃyamaṃ karoti tasya sarveṣāṃ bhūtānāṃ mṛgapakṣisarīsṛpādīnāṃ yadrutaṃ yaḥ śabdastatra jñānamutpadyate| anenaivābhiprāyeṇa tena prāṇināyaṃ śabdaḥ samuccārita iti sarvaṃ jānāti ||17||
siddhyantaramāha ---