Brass Hayagriva Phurba

A small phurba crowned with Hayagriva, the horse-headed protector.

The phurba is the three-sided ritual dagger of Tibetan Buddhism, its blade for pinning down the three things that keep a mind clouded: ignorance, craving, and anger. This one carries the wrathful face of Hayagriva under a crown of five skulls, with the small horse's head above that marks him out, and the blade issues from the jaws of a makara, the sea creature that guards thresholds. Hayagriva is the fierce form of compassion, called on to clear obstacles with a neigh said to break them.

At this size it belongs on an altar shelf, in a practice bag, or on the desk of someone whose work needs a clear head.

Placement: altar or meditation shelf, point down, above seated height.