The Classical Doctrine of Indian Medicine: Its Origins and its Greek Parallels c7.s2.34

c7.s2.34

haoma (Yasna, IX. 4-13). The second is Āthwya, father of Thraetaona. Sometimes, the name Āthwya has been identified with the epithet āptya, “of the waters”, which joins itself to the name of Trita, but it is extremely doubtful if the supposed correlation is exact, Āthwya and Thrita constitute two distinct personages and chiefly the phonetic correspondence in very much open to question.¹ “Trita” signifies “the third”² and he is one of those who prepare the soma,³ just as Thrita is that of the haoma. Thraetaona would have for his counterpart the Vedic Traitana, an insignificant personage (RV., I. 158, 5) whereas in the Avesta he is a hero of premier rank, who put to death the demon Azi Dahāka. In effect, the exploits of Thraetaona correspond more with those of Trita, the enemy of demon Viśvarūpa. In any case, only Thrita in the Avesta and Trita in the Veda have roles related to medicine, but whereas Thrita is the first doctor, Trita, on the contrary, is the first transmitter of evil.