7” Handcrafted Phurba Dorje - Tibetan Buddhist Mahakala Ritual Dagger - PRD-4A

7” Handcrafted Phurba Dorje – Tibetan Buddhist Mahakala Ritual Dagger from Nepal

 Features:

• Handcrafted Tibetan Buddhist Mahakala Phurba dagger.
• Made in Nepal
• Total Length: 7” inches
• Handle Length: 4.25" inches
• Blade Length: 2.75” inches
• Width: 1.15"
• Weight: 9.6 oz.
• Made from brass, copper.
• Fine craftsmanship and intricate detail.
• Beautiful gifting piece.
• Model: PRD-4A

Phurba (ritual dagger)

Phurba is a triple sided Tibetan dagger mainly used for ritual purposes. Its main purpose is to restrain evil and harmful occult forces, and fight life obstacles. It can also be used to convert all the negative energies into positive forces. It is believed in Nepalese and Tibetan cultures that these daggers hold magical power that can erase negative emotions like violence, hatred and other aggressive characteristics that can be held in place by the weapon’s blade.

Mahakala significance

Mahakala also appears as a protector deity known as a dharmapala in Vajrayana Buddhism. Mahakala is typically black in color. Just as all colors are absorbed and dissolved into black, all names and forms are said to melt into those of Mahakala, symbolizing his all-embracing, comprehensive nature. Black can also represent the total absence of color, and again in this case it signifies the nature of Mahakala as ultimate or absolute reality. Mahakala has four arms, three eyes and is of the brilliance of 10 million black fires of dissolution, dwells in the midst of eight cremation grounds. He is adorned with eight skulls, seated on five corpses, holds a trident, a drum, a sword and a scythe in his hands. He is adorned with ashes from the cremation ground and surrounded by numbers of loudly shrieking vultures and jackals.

Phurba Significance

Phurba dagger is a powerful weapon. Phurbas are made mostly from wood, bone, or metals such as copper and brass. If more than one metal is used to make a phurba, it is done in a combination of three or nine metals, which hold numerical significance according to Tibetan and Indian religious beliefs.

Most commonly, carvings at the top of Phurbas are always present with most popular being Buddha heads or skull heads. But you can also find Phurbas with carvings of Hindu and Tibetan deities. Interestingly, some Phurbas have 3 heads carved into the handle to mirror the blade, so when the blade is turned, there is always a head facing you.

The three-sided blade segments symbolize the three spirit worlds, which as a whole represents the “world axis”, and combines all the three spirit worlds together. It is very similar to ancient Greek beliefs on “omphalos” (naval), a religious stone artifact with extraordinary powers.

One of the most important reason the Phurba focuses on 3 sides is because in Tibetan religious beliefs, it represents the “3 Bodies” of the Buddhas manifestation (also called Trikaya); the Truth Body, the Body of Bliss, and the Emanation Body. Spiritual energy coming from this number helps to destruct an enemy and fight other problems. The lower part of the blade represents “Method” while the handle symbolizes “Wisdom”.

Ritualistic Beliefs

Phurba is a believed to be a sacred object in Buddhist beliefs and used in almost every shamanistic ritual and tantric ceremonies. It is believed that the god Dorje Phurba or Vajrakilla, which is a wrathful deity in Tibetan Buddhism, is part of the dagger. Thus, holding so many supernatural powers used to destroy violence.

Phurba should never be used as a physical weapon to harm anyone which is why its bades are never sharp. It is meant as a spiritual object used in the spiritual realm. In tantric ceremonies, it is believed that Phurba can create hallowed or protective ground. The Nepalese believe that during these ceremonies, Phurba can become alive when the Jhankri (Nepalese workd for shaman) transforms his spiritual body into a Phurba and chases away evil spirits.

During ritualistic ceremonies, Phurba is often stabbed down into a bowl of rice or other grains. Trantric practitioners use it to hold demons in place. It also symbolizes stability. Phurpas can also be used as decoration in homes and temples, and many use phurbas as part of their meditation rooms.