Vidhiviveka 8

8

nanu jñānakārako'pi cakṣurādirna śaktijñānamapekṣate . kimataḥ ? śabdasyā'kārakatvaprasaṃgaḥ . ayamaparo doṣaḥ . kutastarhyarthabodhaḥ ? abhyāsāt kaśā'ṅkuśavat . uktañca— abhyāsātpratibhāhetuḥ sarvaḥ śabdaḥ samāsataḥ . bālānāṃ ca tiraścāṃ ca yathā'rthapratipādane ..

Objection: the eye and the like, though producing knowledge, do not require knowledge of their capacity. What follows from this? The undesirable consequence that the word is not a productive factor. This is yet another fault. Whence, then, arises the understanding of the meaning? From repetition, like a whip or a goad. And it is said: / In short, every word is a cause of an intuitive flash from repetition, / just as in conveying meaning to children and animals.