The Spiritual Daggers of the High Himalayas : Phurba and Kartrika .

[Radu Transylvanicus]

The Spiritual Daggers of the High Himalayas : Phurba and Kartika
by Radu Transylvanicus

Very few things coming from the region of the High Himalayas like Sikkim, Bhutan, Nepal and Tibet cannot be instantly recognized as very distinct if not unique in the historical and artistic patrimonies of the world.
We acknowledge with almost no exception that every artifact produced in this side of the world carries a direct deeply symbolical and spiritual connotation and martial tools are no exception but rather the embodiment of this certitude.
Due to its extreme natural surrounding and geography the need for war or defense was minimal here but not inexistent, caught in between the vast and millenary Hindustani and Chinese empires. This most exquisite blend where ancient Buddhism of India meets the deeply philosophical religions of China and mixes further with ancient local shamanistic practices producing a spectacular spirituality in everyday life of which a product of this combination I found in the two daggers I am proposing you for debate today: the PHURBA and the KARTIKA.
I should start by saying that I do not posses an exhaustive knowledge of neither and noe am I intending to pose as scholar but only I hope that I lit a spark in some of you that will bring something to the round table and share knowledge and theories regarding this subject : The Spiritual Daggers of the High Himalayas : Phurba and Kartika .
I suggest from the start to let us dissociate for the moment as much as possible, unless direct in connotation, from other edged weapons from the area like the Kora, Ram Dao, Khukri or Sosun Pattah which are wonderful arms by all means but with perhaps at times Kora have no deep spiritual symbolism or claim esoteric powers.
I should probably start by describing and identifying them for those of us who are less familiar with them and hope that perhaps images would speak deeper than words for the moment:
KARTIKA (also known as Drigug , Grigug, Dhorje ) is essentially a knife with a crescent moon blade and a stamp shaft, to a little extent reminding of an Alaskan Ulu knife (possible correlation with the eastward migrations of the Asian hunters and gatherers communities over Bering Strait resulting ultimately in Eskimo and American Native races birth, who knows...).
The word Kartrika/Kartika in Sanskrit means ,,chopper,, which is exactly the manner one would expect its mechanics to work, it very much seems to have evolved from a utilitarian hunter’s knife considering the large skinning rounded broad blade and the omnipresent gutting hook.

[Rich]

Interesting article. Looking forward to the rest of it.

Here's a sample of my meager collection of artifacts.

http://home.earthlink.net/~steinpic/vajra.jpg


Rich S

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Richard Stein, PhD alchemyst@yahoo.com

The Japanese Sword Index
http://www.geocities.com/alchemyst/nihonto.htm
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[Radu Transylvanicus]

(continuation)

PHURBA (pron.: fur-baa) also known as phurpa, kila, phurbha and so on is much like a metal stake with an elaborated grip.
The phurba is the male (yang / linga) counterpart of the more rounded feminine (yin / yoni) kartrika as the duality would suggest in my personal supposition. Obviously its use would take place by thrusting not by slashing like the one before it.
In many examples kartrika and phurba become one and the same weapon fashioned in a similar manner to the medieval Eurasian halberds.
I see these daggers as being useless in combat and of no man to man martial purpose whatsoever but I am striving to find the ceremonial exact use of this daggers and to what percentage were they spiritual, symbolic or utilitarian. I find the level of craftsmanship in decorations to be absolutely fantastic with a myriad of grotesque figures sculpted in their bodies similar in shape and purpose to the Javan-Balinese Raksasa deity from the Kerises handle (hulu). Eventually, both daggers were used in shamanistic rituals to chase away evil spirits and since phurbas were also known to be made of wood, the wooden stakes against malefic spirits remains known until today but I doubt there’s much connection to the timber. Most of them still remain made of metal from silver (again silver is another material known to subdue malefic spirits), bronze or iron. Phurbas were driven in the ground in the middle of a circle by an initiated shaman only during religious ceremonies.
At least in Tibet, when they are most common, other tools are associated with these anti-malefic spiritual shamanistic cleansing processes, they are less of a weapon but still of sacrificial or exorcising purpose like kapala (drinking cup made of real skulls, overwhelmingly human ones but not only) or another set of dual yin/yang tools : the bell (ghantha) and the ,,thunderbolt tool,, (dorje or vajra who is in essence many times the handle of a phurba or a kartrika).
As a traveling mountaineer as well as a arms and armour collector I came across an unfortunate wave of mass produced Himalayan daggers of a more or less finesse and authenticity in reproduction destined for the tourist market coming from both Indian or Chinese sources and one must exert caution when examining. Still, there is plenty of more or less old authenticity around so we can plunge into a deeper study ...
P.S. Images you see here are obtained via Google.com with no claims of authenticity or age but will clearly serve the purpose of quickly illustrating my notes, I would love to have people post their own more veridic images along comments.

[Federico]

Just an interesting note, a Phurba is featured in the 1980s era movie starring Eddie Murphy, titled The Golden Child. Ironically, based on its appearance in this movie, and the lack of utilitarian use, I passed up the chance at buying one many years ago, as I figured it was just some stylized movie prop. Now after this post, I regret that decission, though I suppose there were good chances it was a mass made knock off.

[Rich]

Yes, there were lots of movie knock-offs of these.
Also, I think, from the movie the Phantom. They are
poorly cast brass with grotesque faces; not the good
refined casting and Buddhistic imagery found on
real ones.

Rich S

[Radu Transylvanicus]

The kartika chopper or ,,flying knife,, when they have the large elaborate handle with demonic faces are known as vajrakartika in northern India and dorje grigug in Tibet and Nepal.
Again, their main use seems to be what is known as the as the Sky-burial, a hard to comprehend act by the cultures of Christian based spirituality, when a dead body is carried up in the mountains and in a funeral ritual carried by a shaman the body is chopped to pieces and left for the animals, mainly vultures to devour showing nothing but absolute uncompassion for the body but great contempt for the soul of the deceased.
Some more images of how elaborate kartika can get:

[Radu Transylvanicus]

This is a set from 17th century eastearn Tibet, Kham region made of only gilt bronze and pure rock crystal blades, belonging to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. They are between eight and nine inches length (twenty to twenty three centimeters long). It is composed of the chopper (kartrika), the stake-dagger (phurba) and the phurba-vajra-khartika halberd combination (parashu). Enjoy:

[ruel]

Radu:
I am striving to find the ceremonial exact use of this daggers and to what percentage were they spiritual, symbolic or utilitarian.

The original of the purbha in Sanskrit originally referred to tent pegs, and there is no evidence of them being used as weapons in India. In Tibet they're used in exorcism, where a doll containing an evil spirit is stabbed by a purbha to cure illness or possession.

I could cite sources, but why? That would require more work than I care to do.

[Battara]

the kartika is a ceremonial weapon used in some rituals to cut the bonds of ignorance, in other rituals to chop up demons. It is used in conjuction with the kapala (actually made of a person's top half of the skull! ). I will upload pictures of the one I have in a day or so.

Another note: the phurba in some ceremonies is used to pin down the demon or evil spirit so the lama can have more control. Sometimes you will see a horse head on top. It is the form of a deity that frightens demons (the name escapes me at present).

[wilked aka Khun Deng]

Thanks Radu for this thread I had wondered what these were. I will reiterate your point on the fakes, the markets in Thailand were flooded, and I mean flooded with these pieces. Some shops had nothing but "genuine Nepalese crafts". I saw foriegners buying these up by the dozen and what would someone do with that many of the same thing - sell it on ebay. Thanks again.

[spiral]

Great thread Radu!

Heres a small iron phurba & an old Tamang shamans drum out of my Nepalese collection. {Also a photo of a Tamang Shaman with a similar drum.}

The handle of the drum is like a large phurba with the same faces, makara ,snakes , thunderbolts etc.

I understand phurbas take something of the spirits they have pinned into themselves, & become entitys in thier own right.

Spiral

[Battara]

Oh you're not kidding about the fakes. My first rip off (and only so far) in weaponry collecting was buying a fake for $200. My fault for not doing enough of my research. Resold it for $75 (the real value I found out). Now I have a better piece, but it took lots of research and scrutinizing the true work. Will post it soon (I promise).

[Battara]

As promised, here are some pictures of my kartika (just found them in our move to the new house ). It is made of bronze with gilding to parts and has an iron blade (unsharpened). A heavy piece:

[Bill M]

Here are a few ritual pieces I have. Got some of them almost 30 years ago. The mask is a recent addition, but still old.

The mask is made from a giant mushroom. Not sure it is Tibetan, may be Nepalese, but I like it. Wife snagged it for her kitchen gallery.

[BSMStar]

Originally Posted by spiral

Heres a small iron phurba & an old Tamang shamans drum out of my Nepalese collection.

The handle of the drum is like a large phurba with the same faces, makara ,snakes , thunderbolts etc.

I understand phurbas take something of the spirits they have pinned into themselves, & become entitys in thier own right.

Spiral

Aren't they used to "block" or repeal (bad) spirits as well??

[spiral]

Yes thats my understanding as well Bsmstar, & those spirits are then trapped within it.

I must say I havent studdied hindu/buddhist/shamanic theology in any great depth though, just stuff Ive heard from those who have.

It would be nice to know more.

Spiral