The gemara makes a distinction between mitzvos that can be done by others for which one does not stop their learning and mitzvos that cannot be done by anyone else for which one must stop learning. We find a similar distinction made if one is conflicted with a mitzvah vs. kibud av; the shulchan aruch 240:12 says that if the mitzvah can be done by others one should choose kibud av, but if it can't be done by others one should forfeit kibud av and do the mitzvah. Normally when conflicted with 2 mitzvos to do, one should weigh and choose the "greater" mitzvah, but Torah is an exception that even though it is greater you stop learning to do the mitzvah that cannot be done by others (there is not even a p'tur of osek b'mitzvah). The halacha indicates that kibud av is like Talmud Torah in that you don't choose the greater mitzvah, rather you do the mitzvah that cannot be done by others. The question is, if we consider Talmud Torah and Kibud Av to be the greatest mitzvos which is why they override any mitzvah that can be done by others, why do we forfeit them for "smaller" mitzvos that can't be done by others. Why is it that kibud av is different than other mitzvos?
It seems the source is the gemara in megillah at the end of the 1st perek that Gadol Talmud Torah than kibud av. We learn from this that if one has to forfeit Talmud Torah for a mitzvah, then certainly one must forfeit kibud av for a mitzvah, bec. Talmud Torah is greater.
Just as by Torah one is required to stop learning and do the mitzvah, bec. the advantage of learning is only 'al m'nas la'asos', but at the expense of a mitzvah the learning is not considered to be a significant. The same holds true with kibud av, since the concept is bases on the "3 parteners in man" idea, one cannot forfeit their responsibility for avihem shebashamaim to fulfill kibud av.
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See R'Elchanan in kovetz shiurim chelek 2 (dont remember the siman) about talmud torah and peru urvu -- where the Rambam writes that one who is learning does not stop to get married if he is concerned re: bittul torah b/c ha-osek bemitzvah etc. and kal vachomer talmud torah. R'Elchanan asks (based on the gemara here in MK) what is the kal vachomer -- because you always stop for TT. He writes that the reason is not that there is no petur of osek be-mitzvah for TT but rather that when one has another thing to do (parnasah, other mitzvah, etc.) there is no chiyuv talmud torah.
You and I actually discussed this issue before re: mikra megilah and I spoke about this past shabbos zachor.
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