on trial and was asked thirty-three questions and Zarathustra answered them all. In this trial of truth, Kazvini writes that molten metal was poured upon Zarathustra and it did not burn Him. Not resting with their failures, Zak and his men placed hairs, nails, the skulls of dogs and cats and other known materials of witchcraft in the place or room where Zarathustra stayed and then poisoned the ears of the king against Zarathustra. Thereupon, Zarathustra was arrested and imprisoned in a solitary cell. This incident was mentioned in detail in "Zarthosht Nama".

Now, it so happened that a royal horse race was about to be held and the king's favorite horse of black colour, named Behzad, was entered to run, but Behzad could not take part, as suddenly he became crippled and his four legs were pulled up to his abdomen. This made the king very unhappy and he called upon his physicians to cure his horse, but none succeeded. This unfortunate news immediately spread and Zarathustra heard of it in his prison cell. From there, He sent his offer to the king to cure his horse. The king on receiving this message, immediately gave orders to bring Zarathustra into the court and the latter, when brought, was asked to cure the animal.

Thereupon, Zarathustra replied that the horse would get cured, if the king accepted his four conditions: (1) the king must give up the corrupted form of religion and accept the religion of Ahura Mazda, the religion of Truth, Purity and Righteousness; (2) the Queen must also accept the religion; (3) the king's son Asfandiar should lead the royal army to defend this religion in religious wars, which Zarathustra foresaw with His prophetic eyes; (4) the evil-minded ones, who misled people to corruption and evil practices, must be brought to trial and duly punished. The last condition shows that Zarathustra, instead of destroying the evil ones through His Divine powers preferred the practice of justice and thus, though of great spiritual height, He lived amidst His people as one of them. The king agreed to these conditions and thereafter on Zarathustra's praying, the horse was cured. He could have cured simply by a miraculous touch, but He preferred to pray so that His followers may develop faith in the power of prayer and faith in Ahura Mazda.

The king, while accepting the new religion, desired to perceive an unusual spiritual phenomenon and also wanted Zarathustra to grant his four wishes: (1) how his end would come, and where he would be after his death — this he wanted to see; (2) his physical body be made strung as bronze; (3) he be made all-knowing so that he might know the past, the present and the future; and (4) he must not be separated from his physical body till the end of all creations. Zarathustra immediately replied that all the four wishes could not be granted to one individual and so he must ask one only. Thereupon, the king expressed his desire to perceive his place in heaven.

"Dinkard" mentions that thereafter it so happened that the two Amesha Spentas, Vohu Manah and Ash Vahishta, and the Yazat (Angel) of the Holy Fire (the Divine Shakti), as ordained by Ahura Mazda, made themselves visible in human forms and proceeded towards the King in his palace in their great divine lustre. Seeing them in such great lustre, the King, his military commanders, his ministers and his other courtiers were much frightened, but the Yazat of the Holy Fire assured them that they had not come to frighten them, but had come under the order of Ahura Mazda to encourage them to accept the religion of Zarathustra. The Yazat of the Holy Fire further added that if the king accepted the religion, he would have a long life full of glory and his son, Peshotan, would become immortal, but if he did not accept them he would soon be destroyed. On saying this, they soon disappeared. Readily, the king accepted the new religion. The king's desire of seeing an unusual divine phenomenon was thus fulfilled.

Later, the angel Nairyosang Yazat appeared before the king and showed his future — the religious wars with King Arjasp of Turan, a neighbouring country, and his victory over Arjasp and the glory which thereafter he would enjoy. Still later, Ash Vahishta