Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c9.3315

c9.3315

TRITA.
1) General information. A son of the sage Gautama. He had two brothers called Ekata and Dvita. (See under Ekata).
2) Other details.
(i) Ekata, Dvita and Trita were born to clean the hands of the devas when they become smeared with the sacrificial butter during the yāgas. Of these Trita once fell into a well while drawing water and the asuras closed the well. But Trita escaped opening the top. (Sūkta 52, Anuvāka 10, Maṇḍala 1, Ṛgveda).
(ii) Once Ekata, Dvita and Trita were stranded in a desert and desperately needed water to quench an increasing thirst. At last they found a well and Trita after getting down and quenching his thirst brought water to his brothers. The cruel brothers, after drinking the water pushed Trita into the well and covered the well with the wheel of a bullock-cart. Trita prayed to the Aśvinidevas for help and they appeared before him and rescued him from the well. (Sūkta 105, Maṇḍala 1, Ṛgveda).