When Lohrasp surrendered the crown and throne of kingship to his son Goshtasp, he stepped down from his royal seat and bound up his traveling gear. He made his way to chosen Balkh and the magnificent sanctuary of Nubehar—a holy place revered by the worshippers of God in those days just as the Arabs reverence Mecca in later ages. The worshipping king entered that house of praise, locked its doors to both kinsmen and strangers, donned the coarse wool of devotion, cast off his armlets, and let down his hair to face the radiant Creator. For thirty continuous years he stood in prayer, praising the sun in accordance with the ancient path set down in the days of Jamshid.
Meanwhile, Goshtasp ascended his father's throne, endowed with both his father's royal glory and fortune. Placing upon his head the crown handed down by his progenitor, he declared before the nobles: "I am a God-worshipping king, and the pure Almighty granted me this crown so that we may drive the wolf away from the flock of sheep, reach out toward the path of God, and make not the world narrow for noble souls. We shall uphold the tradition of the ancient kings and bring the evil-minded unto the divine faith." So boundless was the justice he established that the wolf and the sheep drank from the very same stream.
During this era, Katayoun, the renowned daughter of Caesar—whom the noble king called Nahid—bore Goshtasp two sons bright as the shining moon: one was the famed and glorious Esfandiyar, an unconquered warrior of battle, and the other was Peshotan, a sword-wielding hero and legendary breaker of armies.
As the realm became securely ordered under the new king, he sought to emulate the majestic rule of Fereydun. All the monarchs of the earth yielded tribute and gifts to him, bringing peace to the hearts of well-wishers—save for King Arjasp, the ruler of Touran, before whom demons stood in readiness. Arjasp refused the tribute and heeded no counsel; for Goshtasp would no longer pay homage to his equal, but demanded tribute himself, setting the stage for bitter conflict.