Vajrakila (Dorje Purba) – The ritual dagger

Vajrakila (Dorje purba in Tibetan), the “adamantine dagger” is the name of a ritual peg or dagger with a pyramidal blade used by all religious schools in Tibet.

The ritual object purba is directly related to Dorje Purba or Vajrakila, an eponymous wrathful deity embodying the awakened activities of all Buddhas. Vajrakila is one of the most important meditation deities in the ancient Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. He is embodied in the purba as a means of destroying all obstacles and hindrances on the path to Buddhahood, his faces appearing on the pommel of the dagger.  The purba is also employed to bestow blessings. According to Tibetan tradition, the cult and practice of wrathful deity Vajrakila was introduced from India to Tibet during the 8th century by the tantric master Padmasambhava.

This brass dagger with an iron blade has an unusual central vajra handle. The patina of the metal indicates of its intensive use over time.