diff --git a/sphinx/util/docutils.py b/sphinx/util/docutils.py
index 7b2364a84..fdb137798 100644
--- a/sphinx/util/docutils.py
+++ b/sphinx/util/docutils.py
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ from docutils.writers._html_base import HTMLTranslator
 from sphinx.errors import SphinxError
 from sphinx.locale import _, __
 from sphinx.util import logging
-from sphinx.util.parsing import inliner_parse_text, nested_parse_to_nodes
+from sphinx.util.parsing import nested_parse_to_nodes
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 report_re = re.compile('^(.+?:(?:\\d+)?): \\((DEBUG|INFO|WARNING|ERROR|SEVERE)/(\\d+)?\\) ')
@@ -466,7 +466,7 @@ class SphinxDirective(Directive):
         """
         if lineno == -1:
             lineno = self.lineno
-        return inliner_parse_text(text, state=self.state, lineno=lineno)
+        return self.state.inline_text(text, lineno)
 
 
 class SphinxRole:
diff --git a/sphinx/util/parsing.py b/sphinx/util/parsing.py
index 2cd395835..f3a186e64 100644
--- a/sphinx/util/parsing.py
+++ b/sphinx/util/parsing.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ from docutils.statemachine import StringList, string2lines
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from collections.abc import Iterator
 
-    from docutils.parsers.rst.states import Inliner, RSTState, Struct
+    from docutils.parsers.rst.states import RSTState
 
 
 def nested_parse_to_nodes(
@@ -73,20 +73,6 @@ def _fresh_title_style_context(state: RSTState) -> Iterator[None]:
         memo.section_level = surrounding_section_level
 
 
-def inliner_parse_text(
-    text: str, *, state: RSTState, lineno: int = 1,
-) -> tuple[list[nodes.Node], list[nodes.system_message]]:
-    """Parse *text* as inline nodes.
-
-    The text cannot contain any structural elements (headings, transitions,
-    directives, etc), so should be a simple line or paragraph of text.
-    """
-    inliner: Inliner = state.inliner
-    memo: Struct = state.memo
-    parent: nodes.Element = state.parent
-    return inliner.parse(text, lineno, memo, parent)
-
-
 def _text_to_string_list(
     text: str | StringList, /, *, source: str, tab_width: int,
 ) -> StringList: