Institute of Legal and Management Studies

Supreme Court judge Justice Vikram Nath on Saturday delivered the presidential address at the felicitation ceremony marking 75 years of Senior Advocate K. Parasaran's journey as a lawyer and 50 years as a Senior Advocate, describing him as “the Bhishma Pitamah of the Indian legal profession” and “a living embodiment of Dharma.”

Addressing the gathering that included Justices M.M. Sundresh, P.S. Narasimha, K.V. Viswanathan, and R. Mahadevan of the Supreme Court, Chief Justice M.M. Shrivastava of the Madras High Court, and senior members of the Bar, Justice Nath paid rich tribute to Padma Vibhushan K. Parasaran's legacy.

Justice Nath highlighted that Shri Parasaran Ji, who was born in 1927 in the temple city of Srirangam, Tamil Nadu, began his career when the nation was "young, free, and still defining its constitutional identity". For 75 years, he has walked alongside the Republic, shaping its legal destiny.

Shri Parasaran's life work has been defined by two consistent qualities: unparalleled preparation and unimpeachable Iintegrity.

Justice Nath noted that many Bar members recall the Senior Advocate entering court carrying his own handwritten notes, prepared with the diligence often associated with a first-year law student.

His appointment as Attorney General for India was described as not merely an honour but a "recognition of a lifetime of service to the Constitution".

Justice Nath described Shri Parasaran as the "Bhishma Pitamah of the Indian legal profession". Like the character in the Mahabharata, Shri Parasaran's life has been guided by dharma, wisdom, and selfless service.

For Shri Parasaran, advocacy was not merely a profession but a dharma—a solemn act of service to truth. Drawing parallels to the Ramayana, Justice Nath suggested that the counsel's life journey mirrors a "modern Ramayana of Dharma," demonstrating an unwavering devotion to the duties of his calling, the Court, the client, and the truth. The Judge reinforced this philosophy by quoting the Bhagavad Gita: "Your right is to work only, but never to the fruit thereof".

Justice Nath stressed that true success in law, as taught by Shri Parasaran's life, is built over decades of commitment, reminding the young members of the Bar that "Rome was not built in a day".

He recalled a telling episode from Shri Parasaran's tenure as Solicitor General in 1980. When the Government issued a show-cause notice to The Indian Express for the demolition of its building, Shri Parasaran advised that the proposed action was legally untenable. When his advice was disregarded, he stood firm, refusing to appear for the Government and indicating he "would rather resign than compromise his conscience".

The Government, respecting his integrity, did not compel him and later elevated him to the highest legal office, the Attorney General for India. This single act was hailed as speaking "more eloquently than volumes about his unimpeachable integrity and moral courage".

It was also noted that Shri Parasaran stood above politics, with his counsel sought by both Congress governments and later by Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who appointed him to the Constitution Review Commission's Drafting and Editorial Committee.

Illustrating the passion which he practiced law, Justice Nath recalled Shri Parasaran's involvement in the Ayodhya hearings. The Judge was informed that Shri Parasaran, then in his nineties, argued barefoot before the Constitution Bench. When offered a chair, he respectfully declined, explaining that he was arguing not just a case, but "for his God, his faith," and therefore must adhere to the convention of standing while addressing the Court out of devotion. To him, the case was considered a matter of principle and belief, rather than mere property.

Concluding the tribute, Justice Nath stated that Shri Parasaran's life has been one of "karma without attachment, of faith without fanaticism, and of excellence without ego," serving not for reward but for righteousness. He concluded by citing Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, urging attendees to strive to follow in the great lawyer's footprints of humility and unwavering faith.