The seventeenth yoga sutra speaks about the purpose, importance and sense of a word that needs to be grasped well. However, an uneducated and unconsciousness being, without the knowledge of the word, is liable to make mistakes. He has every possibility to mix the meaning with another word. A sadhaka is the erudite one, who is knowledgable about the accurate meaning of every word, sound of every word and sense of the word.

sabda word, sound
artha object, purpose, meaning
pratyayanam feelings, emotions, ideas, contents
itaretara one for the other
adhyasat superimposing, coinciding
sahkarah mixing together, intermixture, becoming one
tat their
pravibhaga distinction, differentiation, resolution
samyamat restraint, check, control, subdue, govern
sarva all
bhiita living beings
ruta sounds, speech
jnanam knowledge

Words, objects and ideas are superimposed, creating confusion; by samyama, one gains knowledge of the language of all beings.

Conventional usage of a word, its fundamental meaning, content and feeling may all coincide, or may be confused due to intermixture or super-imposition. The same word may communicate altogether different meanings in another language. A perfect yogi acquires accurate knowledge of the meaning and feeling of any sound or word, in any language produced by any being.

For instance, Jesus`s disciples are believed to have received the gift of speaking in every language.

One does not commonly differentiate between a word, its original purpose and meaning, and its contemporary usage; they are studied by those of average intellect to coincide. An educated intellect, however, may penetrate deeply to understand just what is communicated by the sound, meaning and sense of a word. A gifted yogi intuitively perceives and precisely distinguishes the meaning and feeling of each word or sound uttered by any living being, according to how they express themselves.