phur-bu
phur-bu, (Tibetan: “peg,” or “nail”), a ritual dagger used in the Tantric (esoteric) rites of Tibetan Buddhism to exorcise evil. The dagger has a three-sided blade and a hilt that terminates in the head of Hayagrīva (Tibetan: Rta-mgrin), the fierce protective deity identified by a horse’s head in the headdress. Other symbols characteristically used to ornament the phur-bu are the knots of immortality, head of a makara (crocodile-like creature), and entwined serpents.
Citation Information
Article Title:
phur-bu
Website Name:
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher:
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published:
20 July 1998
Access Date:
February 24, 2025