Few ritual implements are as immediately striking — or as widely misunderstood — as the phurba, the three-bladed dagger held by the deity Vajrakilaya. It is not a weapon. It is the instrument that pins ignorance, desire, and hatred to the ground of their own emptiness.
Iconography of the dagger
Robert Beer describes the wrathful form precisely:
“The wrathful phurba is depicted in the dark-blue colour of iron, symbolising its unchangeable and indestructible vajra nature. Vajra-flames often emanate along the edges of its blades, as the phurba is described as blazing with fire when it is stabbed in the ten directions. The lower half of the dagger represents method or skilful means, and its upper shaft symbolises wisdom.”
“The triple blade of the phurba, which is described as ‘a ferocious striker issuing from the jaws of a makara’, symbolises the overcoming or cutting through of the three root poisons: ignorance, desire, and hatred.”
Most phurbas are crowned with three faces of Vajrakilaya — wrathful expressions facing the three directions — or with a horse head marking the dagger of Hayagriva.
The handle
An eight-sided shaft, often wrapped in endless-knot lattice, sometimes interrupted by a vase form at the center.
The blade
Three faces meeting at a single point, frequently shown emerging from the jaws of a makara, with nāgas trailing down the blade edges.
A carved sandalwood phurba — wood, iron, and bronze each carry the form differently.
What to look for
Balance — a practice phurba should sit comfortably upright in the hand
Crisp casting — the three faces and makara jaw should read clearly
Material — iron for wrathful presence, three-metals work for traditional correctness, wood for Chöd and travel
See the current selection of phurbas and driguks. If you practice Vajrakilaya, choose the form your lineage’s texts describe — when in doubt, ask your teacher before purchasing.
The Phurba: Ritual Dagger of Vajrayana Practice
Few ritual implements are as immediately striking — or as widely misunderstood — as the phurba, the three-bladed dagger held by the deity Vajrakilaya. It is not a weapon. It is the instrument that pins ignorance, desire, and hatred to the ground of their own emptiness.
Iconography of the dagger
Robert Beer describes the wrathful form precisely:
— Robert Beer, The Encyclopedia of Tibetan Symbols and Motifs, p. 247
The triple blade
— Robert Beer, The Encyclopedia of Tibetan Symbols and Motifs, p. 247
Reading a phurba from top to bottom
The pommel
Most phurbas are crowned with three faces of Vajrakilaya — wrathful expressions facing the three directions — or with a horse head marking the dagger of Hayagriva.
The handle
An eight-sided shaft, often wrapped in endless-knot lattice, sometimes interrupted by a vase form at the center.
The blade
Three faces meeting at a single point, frequently shown emerging from the jaws of a makara, with nāgas trailing down the blade edges.
What to look for
See the current selection of phurbas and driguks. If you practice Vajrakilaya, choose the form your lineage’s texts describe — when in doubt, ask your teacher before purchasing.