Materials:

Lapis lazuli

Coral

Turquoise

Himalayan Quartz Crystal

Onyx

Gold-plated copper

Dimensions & Weight:

Length: 15 inches

Width: 11 inches

Weight: 600 grams

Shipping Origin: Kathmandu, Nepal

Description:

This magnificent Kartika has a double vajra handle imbedded with turquoise, coral, and lapis. The intricately tooled gold-plated and bejeweled dragon head holds the sculpted Himalayan quartz crystal ritual blade with the mantra Om Mani Padme Hum on one side of the blade and a cap of onyx on top of the dragon's head.

The Kartika is a ceremonial Buddhist ritual tool shaped like a crescent knife or chopper, topped with a vajra that acts as a handle to the blade. It symbolizes the severance of all material and worldly bonds, while the vajra represents the destruction of ignorance, thus clearing the path to enlightenment.

While the Kartika is used in several Buddhist ceremonies, it is particularly important in the Tibetan practice of

Chöd, a ritual involving a form of self-sacrifice, whereby the practitioner visualizes their own body as the offering at a form of tantric feast. The Kartika is also famously used in the Tibetan sky burial ritual, whereby the deceased are cut into small pieces and left for the vultures to consume on top of special gats or burial platforms. Interestingly, the Kartika is also utilized in the practice of Feng Shui.

The Double Vajra (Visvavajra) has its origins in Buddhist myth:

In the emptiness of space, a mild wind began blowing. Over time, it filled the great Void, growing in power over eons until it coalesced into the vajra cross. This weighty, immutable object is said to be the foundation of the universe or Visvavajra (in Sanskrit, visva = universe). Depicted as an X or in vertical form (like a plus sign), it is also a symbol of protection.

The Double Vajra is formed from four lotus-mounted vajra-heads that emanate from a central hub towards the four cardinal directions and symbolizes the principle of absolute stability. Pointedly, the Double Vajra is a protective symbol that dispels evil, temptation, and deception from the four directions, dispels ignorance and invites wisdom, boosting power.

The Double Vajra is formed from four lotus-mounted vajra-heads that emanate from a central hub towards the four cardinal directions and symbolizes the principle of absolute stability. Pointedly, the Double Vajra is a protective symbol that dispels evil, temptation, and deception from the four directions, dispels ignorance and invites wisdom, boosting power.