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A bearded man with a turban rides a leopard through a golden grassy plain at sunset, painted in an epic style.

A bearded man with a turban rides a leopard through a golden grassy plain at sunset, painted in an epic style.

**(Sound of wind and distant hooves)** **Narrator:** From the plains of Rudbar, Sadi witnessed a sight that froze him in his tracks. A man, astride a leopard, approached. Fear gripped Sadi’s heart, but the rider, with a smile and a raised hand, spoke words of comfort. **(Slightly mystical music begins)** **Rider (calm, resonant voice):** Sadi, be not amazed! Do not turn from God’s mandates! His commands shall be obeyed! **Narrator:** The rider’s words echoed the wisdom of great kings. Cyrus, guided by the Just Monarch, found strength and protection. And so too, would Sadi, a friend of God, be shielded from harm. **(Music swells slightly)** **Narrator:** This encounter, a vision of power and divine guidance, led Sadi to reflect on the true path, the path of virtue, as described in the Garden of Fragrance. The lessons of wise rulers resonated deeply. **(Music softens)** **Narrator (quoting):** King Nushirwan advised his son Harmuz: “Take care of the hearts of the poor and distressed! Do not be consumed by selfish pleasures! The shepherd who sleeps while the wolf is in the fold is wrong!” He warned against wounding the souls of his people, likening subjects to roots and the king to the tree. A healthy tree needs strong roots! **(Music briefly becomes more urgent)** **Narrator (quoting):** Khusrau, in his dying breath, urged his son Sheroya: “Live so your glance is always on the good of your subjects! True wisdom… do not spurn it! Oppressors are reviled, their structures See more