Kartika (Driku)

Size: 16cm by 16cm

Kartika: The traditional interpretation and meaning of the hook in Tibetan Buddhist imagery is that of the hook of compassion. It is the hook that pulls beings out of the cycles of transmigration. The dakini's crescent-shaped hooked knife with its vajra handle pulls out of suffering, severs the egocentric self, and is guided by the crystalline clarity of the vajra.

The kartika is used to symbolize the severing of all material and worldly ties and is often topped with a vajra, which is said to destroy ignorance, thus leading to enlightenment. Another more nuanced interpretation states that "the kartika represents the cutting through of the two Buddhist obscurations of defilements (klesha avarana) and knowledge (jneya avarana) that hinder the path to enlightenment. The kartika is also used to cut through human obscurations to progress on the spiritual path including "pride, lack of faith, lack of devotion, distraction, inattention, and boredom."