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Ekata

The First of the three Aptya brothers. A god born with Trita and Dvita from the waters in the Shatapatha Brahmana; in the Jaiminiya Brahmana and the Mahabharata a brother who abandons Trita in a well for the sake of the cattle.

Sources: The Satapatha-Brahmana, tr. Julius Eggeling (Sacred Books of the East 12, 41); Contributions from the Jaiminiya Brahmana to the History of the Brahmana Literature (first series), H. Oertel, JAOS 18 (1897): Jaiminiya Brahmana 1.184 text and translation, and Sayana's summary of the Shatyayana Brahmana on RV 1.105; The Mahabharata, tr. K. M. Ganguli (1883-96), sections read for the Vedic layer · see Ekata's web

Relations 3

Ekata sibling of

Dvita (Sage) · Trita in the well
The three Aptya brothers.
Trita Aptya (God) · Trita in the well
The three Aptya brothers.

Ekata cursed by

Trita Aptya (God) · Trita in the well
Mahabharata: cursed to become a wolf. Jaiminiya Brahmana: turned into a bear or an ape.

Stories 2

Trita in the well
Legend · as elder brother who abandons him · 5 tellings
Trita, the three-headed one and the blame
Legend · as brother, receives rinsing water · 2 tellings

Cited

The Satapatha-Brahmana, tr. Julius Eggeling (Sacred Books of the East 12, 41) § 1.2.3.1 Primary text (translation)
Contributions from the Jaiminiya Brahmana to the History of the Brahmana Literature (first series), H. Oertel, JAOS 18 (1897): Jaiminiya Brahmana 1.184 text and translation, and Sayana's summary of the Shatyayana Brahmana on RV 1.105 § 1.184 Scholarly
The Mahabharata, tr. K. M. Ganguli (1883-96), sections read for the Vedic layer § shalya.36 Primary text (translation)