Written by Finding Refuge at Last (Age 42)
“I AM come from the court of King Vishtaspa.”
— Zarathustra, finally finding refuge
For 12 Years, Zarathustra Had No Power
Then one king believed.
Within a decade, an empire followed.
The Divine Instruction (Age 42)
After 12 years of wandering—
After 12 years of rejection—
After 12 years of crying out “Whither shall I go?”—
Finally, the answer came.
Later, in the same chapter, he gives the answer of the god who sends him to preach his vision in the land of the king Vishtaspa.
“Go to Vishtaspa.”
Not a great empire. Not a wealthy kingdom. Not a famous ruler.
Just a king in Bactria—modern Afghanistan and eastern Iran region.
King Vishtaspa ruled a relatively modest kingdom in Bactria or Chorasmia (regions that are now part of Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan).
But this king—this one man’s belief—would change everything.
The Journey to Bactria
Time went by and Zarathushtra was now 42 years old. One day Zarathushtra received news that gave him hope. He had heard about a wise and just king named Vishtaspa who ruled in a nearby land.
After 12 years of doors slammed in his face, Zarathustra heard about a king who was:
- Wise (not easily manipulated)
- Just (concerned with truth and fairness)
- Open (willing to listen to new ideas)
Zarathushtra thought that the king would be wise enough to listen to him and therefore, he and his followers did not hesitate to visit this king.
By this point, Zarathustra had perhaps 22 followers. His cousin. A handful of believers.
That’s all.
Twenty-two people against an entire world of opposition.
Once again, they were on their way.
One last journey. One last attempt. One last hope.
The Arrival at Vishtaspa’s Court
When they reached the royal court of king Vishtaspa, he accepted Zarathushtra’s visit and invited him to his residence.
The first good sign: The king actually granted him an audience.
After 12 years of being expelled, driven out, imprisoned, hunted—
Someone was willing to listen.
The king had granted Zarathushtra an audience with priests and counselors to listen to his philosophy and if necessary, initiate a debate.
The Great Debate
When Zoroaster arrived at Vishtaspa’s court, the prophet was “met with hostility from the kayags and karabs (kavis and karapans), with whom he disputed at a great assembly.”
The same old enemies: The priestly class.
Vishtaspa must have had his own priests and seers, who would hardly have welcomed a new prophet claiming divine authority.
Of course not.
Because Zarathustra was saying—again:
- “Your gods are demons”
- “Your sacrifices are unnecessary”
- “Your power is illegitimate”
The priests at Vishtaspa’s court saw the same threat their predecessors had seen for 12 years:
Economic ruin. Loss of authority. Obsolescence.
The 33 Questions
As expected, Zarathushtra received numerous questions from the audience and he had convincing answers for all of them.
The tradition says Zarathustra debated for three days.
Question after question. Challenge after challenge. Argument after argument.
And one by one, Zarathustra answered them all.
Not with miracles. Not with signs. Not with supernatural displays.
With truth.
With logic. With coherence. With the simple, devastating power of his message:
- One God (simpler than polytheism)
- Free will (more empowering than fate)
- Ethics over ritual (more accessible than blood sacrifice)
- “Good thoughts, words, deeds” (more practical than complex ceremonies)
The tradition goes on to relate that Zoroaster triumphed after three days of debate.
King Vishtaspa became very impressed by the wisdom of Zarathushtra.
Finally. After 22 years. Someone believed.
The Plot (Prison)
But the victory was short-lived.
Even though Zarathushtra had convinced many about his philosophy, his popularity in the royal court created enemies.
The karapans (priests) and karabs saw that the king was leaning toward conversion.
They had to act fast.
Little did Zarathushtra know that a few priests had planned a plot against him.
The Frame
The priests had placed objects related to black magic in Zarathushtra’s room at the king’s residence and they then told Vishtaspa to search his room.
Black magic paraphernalia. Planted evidence.
When Vishtaspa found the objects, he accused Zarathushtra of blasphemy and imprisoned him while denying him food and water.
After three days of brilliant debate—prison.
Zoroaster triumphed after three days of debate, only to be maligned by his enemies to Vishtaspa, who then had the prophet imprisoned.
The priests whispered: “He’s a sorcerer. He deceived you with dark arts. The objects in his room prove it.”
And Vishtaspa—not yet fully convinced, swayed by his trusted advisors—believed them.
Zarathustra was thrown in prison.
No food. No water. Left to die.
After 12 years of searching for refuge.
After finally finding a king willing to listen.
After winning the debate.
Prison.
The Miracle: The King’s Horse
One day, the beloved black horse of Vishtaspa caught an incurable disease and no physician could cure the horse.
King Vishtaspa’s favorite horse was suddenly paralyzed.
The king summoned the best healers in the land, but no one could cure his horse. He then prayed to the gods day and night and sacrificed a thousand horses and camels for them.
The old gods didn’t answer.
A thousand sacrifices. Endless prayers to the daeva. The most skilled physicians.
Nothing worked.
The horse’s legs became smaller and weaker each day so that he could no longer stand on his feet.
The Offer
While in prison, Zarathushtra heard about the dying horse and he offered his help.
From a prison cell. Denied food and water. Falsely accused.
Zarathustra offered to help the king who had imprisoned him.
Zarathushtra went to the King and said, “I can cure your horse, but first you should grant my four wishes.”
Four conditions:
- That Vishtaspa accept the religion of Ahura Mazda
- That Crown Prince Isfendiar accept the religion
- That Queen Hutaosa accept the religion
- That those who framed Zarathustra be punished
Vishtaspa reluctantly gave Zarathushtra the opportunity.
The king was desperate. His beloved horse was dying. The old gods had failed.
What did he have to lose?
The Healing
By his surprise, Zarathushtra managed to cure the horse.
But, from prison, Zoroaster cured one of Vishtaspa’s favourite horses (which had suddenly become paralyzed), for which the prophet then gained Vishtaspa’s support and admiration.
The horse stood. The paralysis vanished.
Not through sacrifice to the daevas.
Not through priestly rituals.
But through the power of Ahura Mazda working through Zarathustra.
This event caused Vishtaspa to realize that he had been wrong and he fully accepted the Zoroastrian faith.
The Conversion
After a few days of thinking, he decided to convert.
King Vishtaspa—after seeing:
- Zarathustra’s wisdom in debate (three days)
- The falseness of the accusation (planted evidence)
- The failure of the old gods (despite a thousand sacrifices)
- The power of Ahura Mazda (healing the paralyzed horse)
—converted to Zoroastrianism.
Vishtaspa, according to Zoroastrian tradition, became the first convert.
Actually the first influential convert. (The first overall was Zarathustra’s cousin.)
But Vishtaspa was a king.
And since he was a king, others quickly followed.
Queen Hutaosa
The beautiful Hutaosa became one of Zarathustra’s greatest supporters and assisted him in converting Vishtaspa.
Queen Hutaosa didn’t just convert—she became an evangelist.
She helped persuade her husband. She promoted the faith throughout the court. She used her influence to spread the message.
In Yasht 9.25–26, the prophet makes the same appeal with regard to Hutaosa, wife of Vishtaspa.
The Gathas themselves mention her—a woman honored in the most sacred texts.
This was revolutionary. In ancient times, women were rarely credited in religious texts.
But Zarathustra’s teaching included: There is also a heavy emphasis on spreading happiness, mostly through charity, and respecting the spiritual equality and duty of both men and women.
Spiritual equality. Both men and women.
Queen Hutaosa embodied this principle.
The Court Converts
Zarathushtra then established close ties with the family of the king and queen, whose sons were named Frashaoshtra and Jamaspa.
Not just the king. The entire royal family.
Frashaoshtra and Jamaspa—the king’s brothers—became Zarathustra’s allies.
In the Gathas, the poet speaks of Vishtaspa as his ally (Yasna 46.14), follower of the path of Vohu Manah (Y. 51.16), and committed to spreading the prophet’s message (Y. 51.16, 46.15, 53.2).
Vishtaspa became committed to spreading the message.
Not just believing—actively evangelizing.
The Aftermath: Justice and Integration
He punished the subjects who had plotted against Zarathushtra and he made Zoroastrianism the state religion of his land.
The priests who framed Zarathustra? Punished.
The religion? Made official.
This turning point resulted in the spreading of Zoroastrianism to neighboring lands and the establishment of Zoroastrianism as a world religion during ancient times.
The Family Ties
Frashaoshtra’s daughter, Hvovi, would become Zarathushtra’s wife.
The king’s brother’s daughter became Zarathustra’s wife.
Zarathushtra married into the royal family.
The two would have six children: three daughters, Freni, Friti, and Pourucista, and three sons, Isat Vastar, Uruvat-Nara, and Hvare Cithra.
And then: Zarathushtra’s daughter, Pourucista, would become the wife of the king’s son, Jamaspa.
Complete integration.
Zarathustra’s family and Vishtaspa’s family became one family.
The prophet who had been rejected by his own kinsmen—
Found a new family in the king’s court.
The Vision Confirmed: The Three Archangels
But Vishtaspa required one final sign before he would totally embrace the faith. He asked to be shown what role he would play in the heaven-world.
After two years of gradual conversion—
After the healing of the horse—
After Queen Hutaosa’s persuasion—
Vishtaspa wanted confirmation.
Not doubt. But divine validation.
The Arrival
In response, Ahura Mazda sent three archangels to the court of Vishtaspa and Hutaosa.
They appeared as effulgent knights in full armour, riding on horseback.
Three beings of light. In armor. On horseback.
According to one text, they arrived in such glory that “their radiance in that lofty residence seemed … a heaven of complete light, owing to their great power and triumph.”
The king looked upon them—and trembled.
“All his courtiers trembled, all his chieftains were confused.”
This was divine confirmation.
The Message
Radiating a blinding light and the sound of thunder, they announced that they had come on behalf of Ahura Mazda in order that the king might receive the fullness of the message of Zarathustra.
They promised Vishtaspa:
- A life span of 150 years
- An immortal son (with Hutaosa)
The archangels warned, however, that if Vishtaspa should decide not to take up the religion, his end would not be far away.
Choose Asha—live long and prosper.
Reject it—and die soon.
Not a threat. A consequence.
Because alignment with truth (Asha) brings life.
Alignment with lies (Druj) brings death.
That’s cosmic law.
The Transformation
After this final vision, Vishtaspa was fully converted.
At first Zoroastrianism was as much a military order as a religion, since its members were forced to fight persecution (mistreatment towards a person or group because of differences) and fend off attacks from other tribes.
Zoroastrianism became the state religion.
Not just tolerated. Not just permitted.
Official. Established. Protected.
And with the king’s backing, the faith spread:
- To neighboring lands
- To allied kingdoms
- Across Bactria and beyond
Within a generation, Zoroastrianism would become the faith of the Persian Empire—the largest empire the world had ever seen.
Why This Moment Changed Everything
1. Royal Patronage = Institutional Power
For 12 years, Zarathustra had truth but no power.
After Vishtaspa’s conversion, he had truth AND power.
The difference:
- Before: Preaching in villages, driven out by local priests
- After: Protected by the king, establishing fire temples, training priests
One king’s belief created infrastructure for the message.
2. The Pattern: Truth Needs a Platform
Jesus: Preached for 3 years, killed, but then Constantine (Roman Emperor) converts → Christianity spreads
Muhammad: Preached in Mecca (rejected), fled to Medina (accepted) → base of power → Islam spreads
Buddha: Wandered for years, but conversion of King Bimbisara → Buddhism spreads
Pattern: Truth spreads when power believes.
Zarathustra’s pattern established this: One leader’s conversion can change the world.
3. From Exile to Court Prophet
Zarathustra went from:
- Homeless wanderer → Royal court prophet
- Rejected exile → Trusted advisor
- Hunted fugitive → Protected teacher
- Lone voice → Institution builder
In one moment—when Vishtaspa believed—everything changed.
4. The Gathas Were Recorded
At the royal court of Vishtaspa, Zarathushtra wrote parts of the holy Zoroastrian book called Avesta which is some of the oldest literature of mankind.
Legend states that King Vishtaspa had these hymns recorded on golden sheets.
The king had the Gathas inscribed on gold.
Why? Because he recognized their cosmic importance.
These weren’t just nice poems. These were divine revelations.
And a wise king preserves divine truth.
The 35 Years at Court (Age 42-77)
Zarathushtra spent 35 years at the royal court of Vishtaspa before he passed away at the age of 77.
After 22 years of loneliness (10 years searching + 12 years rejected)—
35 years of building.
Building:
- Fire temples
- Priestly training (the Magi)
- Ritual structures
- Community practices
- Theological frameworks
- Sacred texts
35 years of legacy construction.
Because Zarathustra understood: Truth without structure dies with the prophet.
But truth with institutions outlives empires.
The Theft Begins Here
Where Did Vishtaspa’s Story Go?
Christianity remembers:
- Constantine’s conversion (312 CE) → Christianity becomes official
- “By this sign, conquer” → The faith spreads
Islam remembers:
- Conversion of tribal leaders in Medina → Islam gains power
- The Hijra (migration) celebrated annually
Buddhism remembers:
- King Ashoka’s conversion → Buddhism spreads across Asia
- Edicts carved in stone, preserved for millennia
But Zoroastrianism?
Who remembers Vishtaspa?
Who knows that the first recorded “royal conversion” in history happened in Bactria in 1700 BCE (or 1500 BCE, depending on dating)?
Who knows that the pattern of “king converts → religion spreads” started with Zarathustra and Vishtaspa?
The Pattern Later Religions Copied
Judaism: Cyrus the Great (Zoroastrian) frees the Jews → Judaism adopts Zoroastrian concepts
Christianity: Constantine converts → Christianity spreads across the Roman Empire
Islam: Tribal leaders convert → Islam spreads across Arabia
All following the Vishtaspa pattern:
One leader believes → Protection granted → Institutions built → Faith spreads
But who credits Zarathustra and Vishtaspa for establishing this pattern?
The Modern Question
If this conversion—this pivotal moment when one king’s belief changed the trajectory of human civilization—happened in 1700 BCE:
Why don’t the billions who practice Zoroastrian-derived concepts know about it?
Why don’t they know that:
- The “royal conversion” model started here
- One king’s belief gave monotheism its first institutional power
- The Persian court became the first government officially promoting ethical monotheism
- This moment made possible everything that followed
Answer: Because acknowledging Vishtaspa means acknowledging Zarathustra.
And acknowledging Zarathustra means acknowledging that:
- Constantine wasn’t the first Christian emperor—Vishtaspa was the first Zoroastrian king (and came 2,000 years earlier)
- Royal patronage of monotheism began in Persia, not Rome
- The model every religion uses (king converts → faith spreads) came from Bactria in 1700 BCE
So the conversion is forgotten. The king is erased. The pattern is attributed to others.
But the structure remains.
Every time a religion gains royal patronage—that’s the Vishtaspa pattern.
Every time a leader’s conversion legitimizes a faith—that’s the Vishtaspa model.
Every time truth finds power and builds institutions—that’s Zarathustra’s blueprint.
They just stopped saying where it came from.
NEXT: Episode 8 – The Prophet at Court
For 35 years, Zarathustra built the structures that would preserve his vision for millennia. The fire temples. The Magi. The sacred texts. The rituals. Legacy requires both truth and tradition.
“For 12 years, Zarathustra had no power. Then one king believed. Within a decade, an empire followed.”
That’s how truth spreads: one leader at a time.
One horse healed.
One king convinced.
One faith established.
And 4.3 billion people today practice what began in that moment.
For the complete Zarathustra series and more on the systematic theft of Persian contributions to human civilization, visit efiretemple.com
The man who healed a king’s horse gave you the institutional model every religion uses.
The least we can do is know his name.