Kartika (knife)

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A kartika or drigug (Sanskrit: kartari; Tibetan: གྲི་གུག་, Wylie: gri-gug,^[1] or kartrika in Nepal^[2]) is a small, crescent-shaped, hand-held ritual flaying knife used in the tantric ceremonies of Vajrayana Buddhism. The kartari is said to be "one of the quintessential attributes of the wrathful Tantric deities."^[3] It is commonly known as the "knife of the dakinis."^[1] Its shape is similar to the Inuit ulu or woman's knife, which is used for many things including cleaning skins.

While the kartika is normally held in the right hand of a dakini in Vajrayana iconography and spiritual practice, occasionally it can be seen being held by esoteric male deities,^[4] such as certain forms of Yamantaka.^[5] It is also found frequently in the iconography of the Tibetan Buddhist spiritual practice of Chöd.