A sage and son of Gautama. He had two brothers named Dwita and Trita.

After Gautama’s death, Trita became the most prominent among the brothers. Ekata and Dwita were not too pleased with this. By the end of a yajna, they had amassed a large number of cows. They took the cows east, with Trita leading the way. Ekata and Dwita conspired behind his back and led the cows in another direction. Trita was oblivious to this and kept walking. Near the banks of the Saraswati he saw a wolf and while escaping from it, fell into an empty well. He used the creepers in the well, chanted mantras and conducted a yajna there. The chants began resonating in devaloka, and Brihaspati along with the devas reached there. They asked Trita what boon he desired and he said he only wanted to be rescued from the well. Immediately the Saraswati river flooded the well and Trita rode on its waves and got out of the well. On reaching home, he cursed Ekata and Dwita and turned them into wolves.

As per Mahabharata Shantiparva Chapter 208 verse 31, Ekata was a sage who stayed in the western side of India. Ekata once attended Uparicharavasu’s yajna as per Mahabharata Shantiparva Chapter 336. All three brothers once visited Narayana in Shwetadweepa as per Mahabharata Shantiparva Chapter 39 verse 12.  The brothers also visited Bhishma when he was lying on the bed of arrows, as per Mahabharata Anushasanaparva Chapter 26 verse 7. According to Mahabharata Anushasanaparva Chapter 15, all three brothers stay as Varuna’s ritwiks in the west. Trita is praised in Rigveda Mandala 1 Sukta 150.