Small phurba #3

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 called 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 of this phurba is adorned with a lotus flower symbol, an ancient symbol widespread in many cultures and traditions. Amongst the many things it symbolizes are those of rebirth, purity, innocence, beauty, love and the transformation from darkness to light.

Underneath this lotus flower the face of the guardian of this phurba and its owner can be seen; Vajrakilaya (or Dorje Phurba), a wrathful form of the Buddha Vajrasattva. 

This phurba is relatively small in size (8,5 centimeters length) and simple in decoration, but of course ready to do the work nevertheless. A phurba in this size can easily fit in your travel-kit, be attached to your shamanic 'multi-tool' or even be worn on a cord around your neck.

It is made of brass, comes from Nepal and weighs approximately 30 grams.