Upon ascending the royal throne of Iran following his uncle, Shapur III convened the wise mobads, seasoned counselors, and nobles of the realm. He delivered a solemn sermon from the throne, decreeing that deceit and falsehood would find no quarter in his court, for true majesty springs only from sound counsel and unyielding truth. He exhorted his subjects to guard their tongues against foolish speech, to shun the poison of greed, to honor enduring wisdom, and to walk the golden path of moderation. He declared that the generous and balanced soul prospers in both this realm and the next, whereas the boaster and the villainous reap only shame and ruin.
The assembled lords praised the young monarch's justice and wisdom, offering prayers to Yazdan for his enduring fortune. For five years and four months, peace graced the land under his rule. Then came a day when the king rode forth to the hunting grounds, accompanied by hunting falcons, cheetahs, and hounds. After a triumphant hunt and a royal banquet, Shapur drank three goblets of crimson wine and retired to rest within his magnificent pavilion. As his army dispersed across the plain, an unheralded, violent tempest swept over the wilderness. The ferocious wind tore free a heavy wooden pavilion stake and struck the reclining king upon the head, ending his life in an instant. Thus Shapur the warrior perished, leaving the Kayanian crown to his successor—a grim testament to the fleeting nature of earthly glory and the inscrutable turnings of Fate.