स यथा दुन्दुभेर्हन्यमानस्य न बाह्याञ्छब्दाञ्छक्नुयाद्ग्रहणाय दुन्दुभेस्तु ग्रहणेन दुन्दुभ्याघातस्य वा शब्दो गृहीतः ॥स यथा शङ्खस्य ध्मायमानस्य न बाह्याञ्छब्दाञ्छक्नुयाद्ग्रहणाय शङ्खस्य तु ग्रहणेन शङ्खध्मस्य वा शब्दो गृहीतः ॥स यथा वीणायै वाद्यमानायै न बाह्याञ्छब्दाञ्छक्नुयाद्ग्रहणाय वीणायै तु ग्रहणेन वीणावादस्य वा शब्दो गृहीतः ॥
In plain words
Picture a drum being struck: you cannot pick out its scattered sounds one by one — but grasp the drum itself, or the striking of it, and you have grasped the sound. The same with a conch being blown, and a lute being played: you cannot catch each separate note flying outward, but grasp the instrument itself, or the playing of it, and the sound is already yours.
Close to the Sanskrit
Just as, when a drum is being struck, one would not be able to grasp separate external sounds, but by grasping the drum, or the striking of the drum, the sound is grasped — just as, when a conch is being blown, one would not be able to grasp separate external sounds, but by grasping the conch, or the blowing of the conch, the sound is grasped — just as, when a lute is being played, one would not be able to grasp separate external sounds, but by grasping the lute, or the playing of the lute, the sound is grasped.