लिङ्गं स्त्रीपुंनपुंसकशब्दवाच्यम् । तच्च “संस्त्यानप्रसरौ लिङ्गम्” इति भाष्ये लक्षितम् । तच्च संस्त्यानं संहतिः, एकीभावादपचयो लक्ष्यते । प्रसरो विस्तारः, तस्मादुपचयः । अयमर्थः—स्तनादिचिह्नैः प्रसिद्धेषु स्त्रीपुंनपुंसकेष्वपचयोपचयद्विसाम्यरूपो यो धर्मक्रमो दृश्यते तं क्रममवलम्ब्य बहुलमीश्वरपरिभाषितो वस्तुनो धर्मविशेषो लिङ्गमिति ।
liṅgaṁ strī-puṁ-napuṁsaka-śabda-vācyam | tac ca “saṁstyāna-prasarau liṅgam” iti bhāṣye lakṣitam | tac ca saṁstyānaṁ saṁhatiḥ, ekī-bhāvād apacayo lakṣyate | prasaro vistāraḥ, tasmād upacayaḥ | ayam arthaḥ—stanādi-cihnaiḥ prasiddheṣu strī-puṁ-napuṁsakeṣv apacayopacaya-dvi-sāmya-rūpo yo dharma-kramo dṛśyate taṁ kramam avalambya bahulam īśvara-paribhāṣito vastuno dharma-viśeṣo liṅgam iti |
(Vṛtti on Hari-nāmāmṛta-vyākaraṇa: 924)
“Liṅga (“gender”) is that which is to be expressed by the words strī (“feminine”), puṁs (“masculine”), and napuṁsaka (“neuter”). It is also defined in the Bhāṣya [i.e, the Mahābhāṣya], ‘Contraction (saṁstyāna) and projection (prasara) are gender (liṅga).” ‘Contraction’ (saṁstyāna), that is, constriction [of the vagina], is defined as diminution [in size] on account of coalescence. ‘Projection’ (prasara) is extension and subsequent expansion [in size of the penis]. The meaning is this: liṅga (“gender”) is the particular quality of objects, often assigned [to them] by Īśvara, based on the series of qualities in the form of diminution [i.e., femininity], expansion [i.e., masculinity], and an equality of the two [i.e., neutrality] that are observed by means of the characteristics of breasts and so forth among those who are well-known to be females, males, and of neuter gender.”