It is recounted that in the grand court of King Khosrow Anushirvan, there served a bold young attendant who was ever at the monarch's side. One day, Bozorgmehr, the chief of sages, observed his service and inquired how he presented the washbasin to the King. The servant confessed with a heavy heart that once, a drop of water had splattered inappropriately; the King's stern glance had frozen his blood, causing his hands to tremble. Moving with compassion and unmatched wisdom, Bozorgmehr taught the young man the flawless etiquette of royal service: to pour the warm water gently, without haste, and to remain steadfast until the King had finished perfuming his lips.
The following day, when the attendant executed the ritual with impeccable grace, Anushirvan instantly recognized the subtle mind of Bozorgmehr behind it. Displeased that the sage was meddling in personal courtly affairs, the King sent a sharp rebuke, questioning Bozorgmehr's judgment. Yet the sage sent back an unyielding, sublime reply: 'My inner and outer state is far better than that of the King of the World.' Enraged by this apparent insolence, Anushirvan ordered his grand vizier cast into a dark, subterranean pit.
Yet even from the depth of imprisonment, Bozorgmehr maintained his tranquility, asserting that his soul remained freer than the throne-bound King's. Furious, Anushirvan commissioned an iron furnace lined with sharp nails and arrowheads, sealing the philosopher within its tight, agonizing metal walls. Still, Bozorgmehr's stoic philosophy remained unbroken, reminding the King through messengers that neither earthly treasure nor physical agony endures forever, and that both monarch and prisoner must ultimately abandon this mortal realm. Astonished by such supreme wisdom and immortal spirit, the King was left humbled by his advisor's invincible mind.