Mahmood

Upon the dark and misty shores of Lake Chichast, Goudarz, son of Kashvad, accompanied by his heroic son Giv and a retinue of noble Iranian lords, journeyed toward the presence of King Kay Khosrow. As Goudarz cast his gaze upon the water's edge, he beheld a holy hermit standing by the wave-swept bank. The man held a lasso in his hands, trembling with profound sorrow as his spellbound eyes penetrated the dark depths of the lake. Goudarz approached the holy ascetic and inquired what hidden secret he pursued beside those lonely waters.

The pious hermit, named Hom, revealed his truth, saying: 'I am a humble servant of Yazdan who dwells in a sanctuary atop the mountain crest, spending the dark hours of night in solitary devotion. At the hour of dawn, when the birds raised their awakening cries, a mournful, heart-rending lament echoed from a bottomless cavern. My illuminated heart divined that such sorrow could belong to none other than the fugitive tyrant Afrasiab. I searched the crags and caves until I discovered the fallen king. I bound his blood-stained hands with my priest’s girdle as tightly as stone and led him weeping down the mountain. Yet so piteously did he wail and swear sacred oaths that my heart softened, and I loosened his bonds. In an instant, he slipped from my grasp and plunged into the fathomless waters of Lake Chichast.'

Upon hearing this revelation, Goudarz hasted directly to the sacred Fire Temple of Azar Goshasp, where Kay Khosrow and King Kavus were gathered in prayer before the holy flame. Goudarz disclosed the hidden miracle to the monarchs. Without delay, the royal lineage mounted their steeds and rode swiftly from the halls of Azar Goshasp to meet the holy man. King Kavus showered Hom with royal praise, thanking Almighty God for revealing a devotee of such strength and wisdom.

Hom then laid bare the strategy to draw the fugitive from the deep: 'Afrasiab remains submerged beyond our reach, but his heart yet throbs with love for his brother Garsivaz. Let the King command that Garsivaz be bound and wrapped tightly in raw oxhide. As the hide dries and constricts around his flesh, his agonizing shrieks will pierce the heavens, and Afrasiab, unable to endure his brother's torment, will rise from the lake.'

King Kay Khosrow commanded his guards and executioners to bring forth the sinister Garsivaz. The cruel prince was stripped, and raw oxhide was stitched tightly over his shoulders and torso. As the shrinking leather crushed his bones, Garsivaz shrieked in unendurable pain, weeping and crying out to the Creator for mercy. Deep beneath the surface of Chichast, Afrasiab heard the agonizing wails of his brother. His soul filled with anguish; he could not bear the sound of Garsivaz's suffering and swam frantically toward the shallow bank.

Seeing his sovereign brother in the shallows with blood-rimmed eyes, Garsivaz wailed: 'O Emperor of the World! Where now is all your royal state, your crown, your invincible legions? Where is the glorious majesty of your throne, that you must now cower in the waters of a lake?' Afrasiab shed tears of blood and replied: 'I roamed the wide earth to escape my sinister fate, yet worse has fallen upon my head. Life has turned to ashes for the grandson of Fereydun and son of Pashang, now trapped within the jaws of the dragon.'

While the two brothers lamented their tragic destiny, Hom watched intently from a rocky islet. Seeing Afrasiab exposed upon the shoreline, Hom uncoiled his Royal Kiani lasso and sprang forth like a roaring lion. With flawless precision, he cast the rope, looping it firmly around the monarch's neck. With righteous strength, Hom dragged the bound monarch out of the water onto dry land, tied him securely, and delivered the captive king into the hands of the Iranian monarchs.