Only in the Vedic tradition do we equate the father with god and honor and respect him. He is responsible for your birth and without his dhāṫu (sperm) you don't exist. He also provides food, shelter, and a roof over your head. He provides worldly knowledge for you to survive in the world. Without a father, you don't have a wife or mother because without him, they also don't exist. Every human being according to Hinduism, is said to be born under three ruṇas or debts. Among these is pitruruṇam. This ruṇa can be paid by marrying according to dharma and having a son who will perform śrāddhas to the pitrus or departed ancestors, thereby appeasing them. For Hindus, the father is honored and worshipped as a god and his children serve him in his old age.
