The phurba is a ritual triangular knife common in vast territories of Asia, including India, Pakistan, Nepal, Tibet, Mongolia, China, Japan and others. There is no exact data on the duration of the use of phurba for ritual purposes, but according to references in the annals and finds from excavations it can be established that is has been used at least 3500 years.
There are multiple ways in which the phurba is used. In many traditions it is used during ritual actions for its protective qualities, keeping the space safe from distortion by dark spirits and protecting the souls of the participants from getting lost. For this reason, before going into deep trance, Nepalese Orthodox Shamans (Jakri) stick the phurba into the ground on their left side to keep dark spirits at a distance.
Also the phurba can be used as an attribute for healing, using it to expel evil spirits and entities from the human body and as a tool for directing energy and giving blessings.
In the appearance of a phurba there’s a lot of symbolism to be seen. Lengthwise it symbolizes the axis of the world and the three levels of Middleworld, Upperworld and Underworld can be recognized. The three facets of the faces and the blade symbolize all kinds of trinities, like in time (past, present, future) or state (creation, preservation, destruction).
The handle shows the guardian of this phurba and its owner, the three faced Vajrakilaya (or Dorje Phurba), a wrathful form of the Buddha Vajrasattva. And above this face, on top of the phurba, also a typical Nepalese 'namaskara mudra' figurine can be seen. The triangular blade is held by the watermonster Makara, symbolizing fierce activity. In the middle area some variations on the shrivatsa (endless knot) can be seen.
This wooden phurba comes from Nepal. It is an antique one, with a beautiful dark patina and handcarved decorations. Due to its age and previous usage of course some imperfections and damages can be seen. Please look closely at the pictures to observe the condition of this item; there is a lengthwise crack on this one. But this is a stable one, the phurba is not fragile because of it.
This wooden phurba is a somewhat bigger and heavier one: it has a length of 35 centimeters and weighs 151 grams. It has a sharp pointed tip, covered with metal, making it easier to stick it in the ground.
Only one available.
