While delivering judgment in a case of dispute between a man and his father, the Jharkhand High Court has cited Mahabharata and scriptures to highlight the role of a son towards his parents.
Justice Subhash Chand has mentioned Yudhishthira’s answers against the Yaksha Lord’s questions. “Father is higher than heaven” is one of the sayings of the eldest Pandava brother in Mahabharata.
Devki Sao, a 60-year-old man, had filed a petition in the family court of Koderma demanding maintenance from his younger son Manoj Sao. The court directed him to pay Rs 3000 per month to his elderly father.
Claiming that his father is wealthy and has multiple sources of income, Manoj filed a criminal revision in the High Court challenging the Family Court order.
Devaki Sao, who lives with his elder son, divided his agricultural land equally between his two sons.
Justice Chand said that it is the duty of a son to take care of his parents.
The court order states: “In the Mahabharata, the Yaksha asked Yudhishthira: ‘What is heavier than the earth? What is higher than heaven?’ Yudhishthir replied: ‘Mother is heavier than the earth; The Father is higher than heaven.” Even if for the sake of argument the father earns something; Justice Chand said in the order that it is a sacred duty of a son to maintain his aged father.
He also quoted from a scripture: “Father is your God and mother is your nature. They are the seeds, you are the plants.” Deciding the case, the court dismissed the petition filed by Manoj and upheld the order of the Family Court directing him to pay Rs 3,000 per month to his father.
In an earlier order, in which a distressed wife was seeking maintenance from her husband, Justice Chand had cited religious texts.
Citing a top court judgment, Justice Chand said a wife is expected to live with her husband’s family after marriage unless there is a strong justifiable reason for separation.
He also used portions of Rigveda, Yajurveda and Manusmriti in sequence.
