History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c63.t2.829

v4.c63.t2.829

8. Awarding of fines against witnesses who depose in disputes between father and son.¹⁸⁰⁸ It has already been seen (p. 299) how ordinarily suits between husband and wife, father and son were not encouraged in ancient India. But when such a dispute came to the king's notice he could take action *suo motu*, as Nār. includes 'pitāputra-vivāda' among the miscellaneous matters (prakīrṇaka verse 3) which the king was to set in motion. Even in ancient times this rule must not have been strictly enforced. As time went on and separation of father and son became frequent the rule must have appeared to be unreasonable. Vide Mit. on Yāj. II. 32 referred to above in n. 418. Yāj. II. 239 (= Matsya 227. 198) prescribed a fine of 3 paṇas for those who (instead of composing the quarrel between father and son and being able to do so) undertake to be witnesses. Viśvarūpa read 'a fine of two hundred paṇas'. Viṣṇu Dh. S. V. 120 prescribes a fine of ten paṇas. This shows that at the time of the Matsyapurāṇa this act was probably not included among Kalivarjyas.