Professor Geldner arrived at a similar conclusion. In Bezzenberger's Beiträge, XI, p. 327, and more recently in Ved. Stud., p. 277, he assigned to kshonî the meaning of woman, which is quite possible, and would make it a synonym of the celestial gnâs. But he translates, 'the Maruts excite themselves with red colours as with women.' These are hardly Vedic thoughts, and the position of ná would remain anomalous. Nor should we gain much if we read to kshonayah arunebhih na añgibhih, 'these Rudras were delighted like wives by bright ornaments.' The bright ornaments have once for all a settled meaning, they are peculiar to the Maruts, and cannot in a Marut hymn be taken in any other sense.

Then comes the question, how is the meaning assigned to kshonî, namely cloud, or, as personified, Apsaras, applicable to other passages? In X, 95, 9, it seems most appropriate: 'So long as the mortal (Purûravas), longing for the immortal (Apsaras), does not come near with strength to those kshonîs, i. e. those Apsaras, or morning clouds, they beautified their bodies like ducks' (an excellent image, if one watches ducks cleaning themselves in the water), 'like sporting horses biting each other.' Geldner

translates this verse somewhat differently, Ved. Stud. I, p. 276.

Having disposed of these two passages where kshonî occurs in the plural, we have next to consider those where it stands in the dual. Here kshonî always means heaven and earth, like rodasî, dyâvâprithivî, &c.

VIII, 7, 22. sám u tyé mahatî´h apáh sám kshonî´ sám u sû´ryam … parvasáh dadhuh. They, the Maruts, set the great waters (the sky), heaven and earth and the sun piecemeal (or, they put them together piece by piece).

VIII, 52, 10. sám índrah râ´yah brihatî´h adhûnuta sám kshonî´ sám u sû´ryam. Indra shook the great treasures, heaven and earth, and the sun.

VIII, 99, 6. ánu te súshmam turáyantam îyatuh kshonî´ sísum ná mâtárâ. Heaven and earth followed thy rapid strength, like mother-cows their calf.

II, 16, 3. ná kshonî´bhyâm paribhvẽ te indriyám. Thy strength is not to be compassed by heaven and earth.