The Religion and Philosophy of the Veda and Upanishads v1.c17.s2.2

v1.c17.s2.2

The deeds of Trita have often the closest resemblance to those of Indra, and still more to those of Thrita in the Avesta. Thus, exhilarated by the Soma, he slays Vṛtra, he overthrows Vala, he destroys the three-headed Viçvarūpa, or again he assists Indra to overthrow Arbuda, while Indra is said to overthrow Viçvarūpa for him. He brings the Maruts on his car, and he sharpens Agni and makes his flames to rise. Agni also he finds. He has a secret and remote abode, whither the Ādityas and the Dawn are besought to remove ill deeds and evil dreams. This home seems to be in the regions of the sun or the heaven. He is also a preparer of Soma, with powers of healing, and all wisdom centres in him. More characteristic is the legend that, being in a well, he prays to the gods for help: Bṛhaspati hears him and sets him free. Another version has it that, being in a pit, he prays to his father and goes forth claiming his father’s weapons to fight with Viçvarūpa. His shadowy figure becomes yet more obscure in the later Saṁhitās; the Yajurveda¹ ascribes to him the giving of long life, doubtless merely because he is the presser of Soma, and the Atharvaveda² knows him only as some far off deity to whom guilt or dreams may be banished. In the Brāhmaṇas we come across a tale of three brothers, Ekata, Dvita, and Trita, the first two of whom throw Trita in a well. Dvita actually occurs in the Rigveda,³ once with Trita and once in an Agni hymn apparently as identical with Agni.