Following the heroic triumph of Bahram Gur over the monstrous horned rhinoceros of India, King Shangal of Cannauj grew deeply uneasy. Intimidated by the unmatched prowess of this seemingly humble envoy, Shangal gathered his trusted counselors in secrecy, declaring that while he marveled at the warrior's valor, his heart was shadowed with dread. He reasoned that if such a champion remained in India, he would eclipse the throne; yet if he returned to Persia, the Iranian monarch Bahram would use such giant warriors to reduce Cannauj to dust. Thus, Shangal crafted a deadly trick: he resolved to dispatch the champion against a primordial, dread dragon that frequented the lands and seas of India—a beast capable of dragging fully-armored war elephants into the depths with its tail alone.
At daybreak, Shangal summoned Bahram, veiling his treachery behind honeyed praise. He claimed that the Almighty had directed the hero from Persia to cleanse Hindustan of its ultimate scourge. He promised immense tribute, precious ambergris, aloeswood, and royal alliance for Iran should the warrior rid the kingdom of this terror. Bahram, moved by noble duty and unshakable faith in Yazdan, instantly accepted the quest, asking only for a guide to point out the lair of the leviathan.
Accompanied by thirty seasoned Iranian knights, Bahram rode toward the coast where, shrouded in darkness, the coiled shadow of the monster loomed. His companions trembled, warning him that this beast was far more terrible than the horned rhinoceros he had slain before. Yet Bahram remained serene, asserting that life and destiny rest solely in the hands of the Creator. Stringing his heavy bow, he shot a volley of steel-tipped arrows dipped in poison into the dragon's maw and head. As the foul creature writhed and spewed venomous blood, Bahram drew his poison-tempered blade, cleaved open the beast's belly, and severed its massive neck with his battle-axe. Loading the dragon's gigantic head onto a heavy wagon, he returned to the court of Shangal. Upon beholding the grotesque trophy, the King and nobles of India burst into resounding praise for Yazdan and the sacred soil of Iran, which alone could birth such peerless warriors.