asatyapi ca vākyārthaḥ pratibhālakṣaṇo yathā / padārtho 'pi tathaiva syāt kimapohaḥ prakalpyate // 
Just as the sentence-meaning is characterized as pratibhā even though [there is] no [external referent], similarly the word-meaning could also be [characterized as pratibhā] - why then is apoha postulated?